Fish Oil Lowers Risk of Liver Cancer

A study published in Frontiers in Nutrition found a significantly lower risk of liver cancer among people who supplemented with fish oil, compared to those who didn’t.*

The study included 434,584 middle-aged and older men and women enrolled in the UK Biobank who were cancer free on enrollment.

The median follow-up period of this large study group was 7.8 years.

Compared to people who did not use fish oil, those who supplemented with fish oil had a 44% lower risk of liver cancer, a 52% lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, and a 40% lower risk of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Editor’s Note: “The inverse association of fish-oil use with the risk of total liver cancer did not vary by baseline age, sex, smoking status, or diabetes of the participants,” the researchers stated.

* Front Nutr. 2021 Dec 31;8:771984.

Curcumin Can Help People with Diabetic Kidney Disease

Diabetic kidney disease is a common microvascular complication of diabetes.

A study published in the journalEvidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine reported an improvement in response to curcumin supplementation.*

People with kidney disease have a higher risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, which are closely associated with risk factors such as hypertension and chronic inflammation.

A meta-analysis of five randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials, including 290 individuals with diabetic kidney disease, concluded that curcumin supplementation was associated with improved creatinine (a marker of kidney function), cholesterol, glucose and systolic blood pressure, compared to a placebo.

Editor’s Note: “Up to 40% of patients with type II diabetes develop DKD, and DKD is currently the leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide,” the authors stated.

* Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Dec 2;2021:6109406.

Supplementing with Zinc Linked to Lower Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found an association between zinc supplementation and a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease as well as a reduction in the progression of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease patients.*

Researchers utilized data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database, which included 1,631 individuals who were cognitively normal or diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease.

Subjects were evaluated upon enrollment, at six and 12 months, and yearly thereafter, during up to 10 years of follow-up.

Among those who reported supplementing with zinc, 6% were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease compared to 26% of those who reported no zinc supplement use.

Editor’s Note: “Here we provide epidemiological evidence suggesting that zinc supplementation was associated with reduced risk and slower cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment,” the authors stated.

* J Neurosci. 2021 Mar 31;41(13):3025-3038.

Better Bone Health with Collagen Peptides

The addition of collagen peptides, the building blocks of collagen, to a bone-supporting regimen of calcium and vitamin D was associated with greater improvements in measures of bone health compared to calcium and vitamin D alone, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Densitometry.*

The study included 51 postmenopausal women with osteopenia, a condition of lower-than-normal bone mineral density that is associated with an increased risk of developing osteoporosis. All participants received 500 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D3 daily for one year. Twenty-three women also received 5 grams of collagen peptides.

After one year, women who received collagen peptides had a significant increase in bone mineral content and volumetric bone mineral density in trabecular (porous) bone tissue of the tibia, compared to values measured at the beginning of the study, and compared to participants who received calcium and vitamin D alone.

Editor’s Note: Volumetric bone mineral density also improved in cortical (more solid) bone among collagen peptides-supplemented participants in comparison with those who did not receive collagen.

* J Clin Densitom. 2021 Nov 25;S1094-6950(21)00099-8.