Fish oil may cut breast cancer risk 'by a third'

The food freaks just LOVE fish oil. If it lived up to just 1% of the claims for it, it would be a wonder food. So it is nice to see proper caution in the rubric below.

The research most probably showed no more than the usual better health of middle class people -- who are more likely to take supplements

Fish oils could protect women from breast cancer, research has found. Scientists claim those who take supplements can reduce their risk of developing tumours by up to a third. The oils have long been credited with health benefits such as boosting brain power, but this is the first time they have been linked to a possible reduction in breast cancer cases.

A study of 35,000 women found that those who regularly took the supplements were 32 per cent less likely to develop the disease.

Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle suggested the omega-3 fatty acids contained in supplements could reduce the risk of developing the most common form of the illness, invasive ductal breast cancer.

This type of tumour, which grows in the cells lining the ducts of the breast, is responsible for up to 80 per cent of the 45,000 cases of breast cancer diagnosed in Britain each year.

Dr Emily White, who led the research published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, said: 'It may be that the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil supplements are higher than most people would typically get from their diet.

'Without confirming studies specifically addressing this we should not draw any conclusions about a causal relationship.'

Edward Giovannucci , a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, added: 'It is very rare a single study should be used to make a broad recommendation.'

Scientists at Harvard are seeking to establish whether fish oil can reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and strokes.

Earlier this year fish oil was hailed as the 'elixir of life' after scientists from the University of California, San Francisco found it could have a direct effect on extending the lifespan of cells.

The UK Food Standards Agency advises consumers eat at least one portion of oily fish a week.

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A real good news story: Amazing recovery of toddler with 32% burns on his face who healed with NO scars thanks in part to advanced treatment



This is the smile that Isambard Ebbutt's mother feared she would never see. He suffered horrific burns when he poured a cup of scalding tea over his head as a baby. But despite not having a single skin graft, he is almost unrecognisable nearly two years later.

Isambard, two, has amazed doctors by appearing to suffer no lasting damage from the accident. He was just 13 months old when he poured the tea over himself in September 2008. He suffered 32 per cent burns to his face and torso, and doctors at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol feared he would suffer severe scarring or contract potentially fatal infections.

But he recovered quickly enough to return to his home in Torquay in only ten days, and his remarkable progress has continued.

Yesterday Isambard's mother, Natalie Ebbutt, 37, who has five other children with husband Chris, said: 'It is so poignant that a cup of tea can kill but I don't think that parents are aware of the damage it can do. 'I see adults walking around all the time with hot drinks near children. I thought he was going to die. 'There is never a day that goes by when we don't think how lucky we are to have him in such a perfect condition and see his smiling face.'

Isambard was treated by experts from the South-West Regional Paediatric Burns Service, who have begun working with scientists from the University of Bath to create a new dressing to protect burns victims from infections. The 'Bacteriosafe' technology will release antibiotics from nanocapsules triggered by the presence of bacteria which cause infectious diseases. The dressing will also change colour when the antibiotic is released to alert medics.

Mrs Ebbutt added: 'I knew that the biggest chance of losing my child was if an infection took hold. 'All I could do was cross my fingers and hope for the best. 'To think now that there is a possibility of avoiding serious infection and complications with this project is amazing.'

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