26 December 2012
Regular supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids and coenzyme Q10 reduces the level of a biomarker linked to prostate cancer risk, reports a new study from Iran.
In the randomized controlled trial, blood serum levels of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was measured in 504 healthy men (aged 40–70 years) receiving daily supplements of 400 mg CoQ10, omega-3 fatty acids (4.48 g eicosapentaenoic acid plus 2.88 g docosahexaenoic acid), 2.4 g of the omega-6 fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) or placebo for 12 weeks (1). The study results showed that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids and CoQ10 was associated with 30% and 33% reductions in PSA levels, respectively, while GLA intakes were associated with an increase of PSA of about 15%.
The researchers concluded that dietary supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids or CoQ10 may have a protective effect against developing prostate cancer and/or a therapeutic effect in men with prostate cancer. The cancer preventing effect may be due to omega-3 fatty acids’ anti-inflammatory and the antioxidant’s CoQ10 immune system stimulating efficacy. The scientists noted that the new findings need to be interpreted with caution: longer studies are necessary to reach an appropriate conclusion.
Prostate cancer accounts for 28% of total cancer incidence and is the second most common cause of cancer-related death of men in the USA. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing is widely used for the detection of asymptomatic and early-stage prostate cancer. Serum PSA concentrations may be affected by many factors unrelated to prostate disease, including age, dietary factors, obesity, diabetes and medications.
5 March 2013
The Norway Food Safety Authority (NFSA) has stated that the daily recommended intake (RDI) of vitamin D should be doubled from 10 to 20 micrograms per day for the entire population.
28 August 2015
A new clinical trial by Khayznikov et al. has found that patients with low serum vitamin D levels that are exhibiting intolerance to statin therapy can be treated for the intolerance by restoring normal serum vitamin D levels by supplementation. Statins are widely, and very successfully, used to reduce blood cholesterol levels in patients with cardiovascular disease or at risk of it. Up to a fifth of people requiring statins will have some form of intolerance, often in the form of muscle pain or memory problems.
2 September 2010
Increasing consumption of green leafy vegetables may reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, according to a new UK meta-analysis.
