Fish-Oil Fats May Stop Cancer Weight Loss
7th February 2008
Dietary supplements enriched in omega-3 fatty acids, a component of fish oil, may help cancer patients gain weight, new research suggests.Weight loss and muscle deterioration are common problems for people with advanced cancer. In animal studies, omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to protect against this problem, also known as cachexia.
The current findings, reported in the medical journal Gut, are based on a study of 200 patients with pancreatic cancer who received a diet supplement containing omega-3 fatty acids or a similar supplement lacking these fatty acids for 8 weeks. The subjects were instructed to consume two cans per day of the assigned supplement.
In the overall analysis, both supplements were equally effective in stopping the loss of body weight and muscle tissue, Dr. K. C. H. Fearon, from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in the UK, and colleagues report.