Fish fat can fight cancer

By Jan Erik Kaarø
Photo: Jens Søraa

Among the things that contain Omega 3 fatty acids are fish, cod-liver oil and vitamin supplements.

Professor Hans Krokan at the research laboratory UNIGEN in Trondheim, Norway, has shown that the so-called Omega 3 fatty acids kills certain types of cancer cells. Krokan believes that in a few years cancer can be treated using special fish oil concentrates, in conjunction with, for example, radiation treatments. Other scientists have observed similar results. In the 1960s, chemistry professor Olav Notevarp at NTH had published results that pointed in the same direction.

Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish, marine mammals and cod-liver oil. Both laboratory and animal tests have shown that the introduction of refined Omega 3 fatty acids decimates certain types of cancer cells. Some types are completely destroyed while others don´t react at all to the substances in the fish oil.

Some of the most positive effects have been registered in animals with tumors stemming from a type of lung cancer. Professor Krokan believes that the results give reason for cautious optimism. But the need for a significant research effort remains: "We can document that fish oil concentrates are effective in treating cancer cells in animals. However, we don´t yet know if the same effects are seen in humans or if there are any potential side effects. It takes several years before a new medicine is approved in Norway and, in any case, our remedy cannot be used to treat all types of cancer. We can only hope that special fish concentrates can provide a supplemental treatment for certain types of cancer," Krokan points out. He is working on the project together with research scientist Åge Haugen of the National Institute of Occupational Health in Oslo, where the animal tests were done. Krokan has studied the applications of fish fat for eight years, including the time he spent as research director in the company Norsk Hydro.

Professor Kristian S. Bjerve of the Department of Clinical Chemistry at the University of Trondheim points out that in addition to the beneficial effects of fish oil, there may be hitherto unknown detrimental effects on humans.

"Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for the human body. This substance is vital for building up certain types of cells. Even if refined fatty acids decimate certain cancer cells, it may turn out that its use actually accelerates the growth of other types, thus making things go from bad to worse. We still know much too little about such effects," emphasizes Bjerve.

Laboratory tests done by Professor Hans Krokan at UNIGEN have shown that the Omega 3 type fatty acids inhibit the growth of certain types of cancer cells.

The UNIT professor has long been a pioneer in international Omega 3 research and searched for a correlation between Omega 3 and various forms of cancer. Bjerve has also investigated its effects on other ailments such as diabetes, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.

First and foremost, research scientists worldwide have been preoccupied with the relation between Omega 3 fatty acids and cardiovascular diseases. Fish-oil research actually started five years ago when some research scientists began to wonder why the eskimos of Greenland almost never died of cardiovascular diseases, despite the fact that they ate large quantities of cholesterol-laden seal meat. Since then it has been ascertained that both thrombosis and cancer are extremely complicated diseases that can be caused by a number of factors.

"Thirty to forty percent of those stricken by thrombosis are neither smokers nor overweight. In other words, there are clearly other triggering factors that we are not aware of. The same holds true for cancer. We can therefore never expect to develop a single preparation that can prevent or cure cancer. Potential Omega 3 medication must be taken in conjunction with a patient changing his/her diet, receiving radiation or other treatments," Hans Krokan points out.

Omega 3 fatty acids are already used in intravenous feeding solutions, but in the form of linolenic acid. This substance is not derived from fish oil, which actually contains other types of Omega 3 fatty acids. It has now been established that the Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil are necessary for normal human brain development. Because of this, Professor Bjerve emphasizes the importance of developing new and improved nutrient preparations containing Omega 3 fatty acids that can be used in treating patients. This is especially true in the treatment of premature babies.

Extensive research regarding these types of unsaturated fatty acids is now being conducted internationally. During the last two to three years, over 1000 scientific articles have been published on the subject. Norway is in the forefront in this field; all four of our universities are working diligently within this field of research.