New Study Reveals Impact of Fish Oil & Vitamin D on Cancer and Heart Health

Health Wellness

From talking with many other older folks, I have learned that many of us waited until we hit 50ish to start taking vitamins and supplements on a regular basis. It usually starts when we begin to have more things affecting our health, so we look to vitamins and supplements to help address some of our health woes.

I’ve worked with people who took handfuls of vitamins and supplements and often thought it was a huge waste of money. After all, they didn’t seem that much healthier or get sick less than others who took nothing, including myself.

However, once I hit over 50 and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, I began to take a more serious look at vitamins and supplements. That’s when I started taking a multivitamin geared for men 50 and over. I also began taking vitamins C, D and E and at least 2 B vitamins. I’ve added magnesium, calcium and host of other supplements that are supposed to help with blood sugar and pressure.

Among those are fish oil and vitamin D.

Many reports have claimed, and still do claim that fish oil is important for heart health among other things. Coupled with vitamin D, they have been touted to only benefit the heart and blood pressure, but also help prevent some forms of cancer. Are these claims true:

According to a report published by Kaiser Health News:

“A widely anticipated study has concluded that neither vitamin D nor fish oil supplements prevent cancer or serious heart-related problems in healthy older people, according to research presented Saturday at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Researchers defined serious heart problems as the combined rate of heart attacks, stroke and heart-related deaths.”

“Although hundreds of studies of these supplements have been published over the years, the new clinical trial — a federally funded project involving nearly 26,000 people — is the strongest and most definitive examination yet, said Dr. Clifford Rosen, a senior scientist at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute who was not involved in the research.”

“Doctors have been keenly interested in learning the supplements’ true value, given their tremendous popularity with patients. A 2017 study found that 26 percent of Americans age 60 and older take vitamin D supplements, while 22 percent take pills containing omega-3 fatty acids, a key ingredient in fish oil.”

Don’t misunderstand this latest study as it is NOT saying that there is no benefit from taking fish oil or vitamin D. A number of people, especially many older people, suffer from vitamin D deficiency. A part of this deficiency is attributed to their lack of exposure to the sun. When sunlight contacts the skin, it causes the body to produce national vitamin D, but when sunlight is cut off or limited, a deficiency in vitamin D often occurs.

This is a problem because vitamin D helps boost the immune system, causes fatigue and tiredness, is necessary for bone health, helps fight depression, important in the healing of wounds, hair health and muscle health.

People with vitamin D deficiencies often have more bone, back and muscle pain, tend to get sick easier and slower for wounds to heal and often display signs of depression.

While vitamin D many not be the cure all for hearth health or a preventative for cancer, it still plays a vital role in the overall health of your body.

cancer Fish Oil Heart Health Vitamin D

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