ROLE OF FISH OIL AGAINST CANCER

Abstract

Cancer represents the largest cause of mortality in the world as the millions of humans and animals die every year. Chemotherapy being a major treatment modality used for the control of advanced stages of malignancies and as a prophylactic against possible metastasis, exhibits severe toxicity on normal tissues. Medicinal plants, including vegetables are known to have good immunomodulatory antioxidant activities, leading to anticancer effect. They act by stimulating both non-specific and specific immunity, and may promote the host resistance against infection by re-stabilizing body equilibrium and conditioning the body tissues. However, the interest in the potential benefits of the fish oils has been greatly emerged. The cardiovascular diseases and cancer incidence rates have been found low due to the fish oils. Who eat a diet high in fish fat and low in carbohydrates (instead of the consumption of a high fat diet from animal and vegetable oils) have low incidence of cancer. The animal fats contain saturated fatty acids, and vegetable oils (e.g., corn oil and safflower oil) contain high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) of omega-6 type. Beneficial effects of the fish oils come from their unique composition of high levels of the omega-3 PUFAs, viz., eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In addition, these omega-3 PUFAs can increase the HDL (so-called good cholesterol) levels. Fish oils also provide antiinflammatory and antiaggregatory effects.