Omega-3 Fatty Acids For Cancer Treatment? Research Shows Signs of Possibility

The mere mention of Cancer is more than enough to make the hair in the back of the neck rise. Given the fact that this disease has little to no permanent resolution or treatment, it becomes earth shattering when a person contracts this disease. But, it looks like the concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids can be an effective remedy for the treatment of cancer.

The body’s natural pain killer system, otherwise known as the “endocannabinoid system”, is found to showcase amazing cancer-fighting properties. The only key? It needs to be activated by the presence of Omega-3 fatty acids in the body.

It is believed that this endogenous cannabinoid system, which is named after the cannabis plant, is not just responsible for subsiding the pain but might pose amazing benefits as an anti-cancer system too.

The receptors of this system, which are scattered around brain, various organs, tissues and even the immune cells, is believed to impose amazing anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties on the body, as a response to any kind of degradation of the body.

But the main point of focus is the interaction between this endocannabinoid system and the omega-3 fatty acids for the treatment of cancer or the probability of achieving the same up to a certain degree.

A new research (R), conducted by Dr Aditi Das (a professor of comparative biosciences at the University of Illinois at the Urbana Campaign) and her team found that the salient metabolism of the Omega-3 fatty acids produced active endocannabinoids which have positive anti-tumour properties.

Omega-3 fatty acid impacts for Lung Cancer

Dr Aditi Das conducted a similar experiment in the previous year of 2017 to test out the effects of the interaction of the omega-3 fatty acids and sourced the presence of several metabolism by-products of the omega-3 fatty acids. These were later called the endocannabinoid epoxides (EDP-EAs).

All of these sourced from the mentions of the possibilities of the cannabis plant as a possible cure (R) for cancer. That is when the researches jumped head first to detect whether or not the body’s natural endocannabinoid system is capable of imposing similar effects in the treatment of cancer.

In order to draw conclusions, the EPA-EA activity in a mouse suffering from osteosarcoma (bone cancer) was noted in a research conducted by the similar group of researchers, led by Dr Aditi Das. They noticed amazing increase in the percentage of the EPA-EA in the lung tissues where the cancer cells because of osteosarcoma have mitigated. The percentage of the EPA-EA was 80% more than what you would normally expect in a healthy mouse.

Even after this result, the team of scientists was on a thin ground with the actual effect of these metabolites. They weren’t sure if the increased concentration was acting positively on curing the cancer or was it the other way around.

Later, Dr Das clarified saying that they have traced for a fact that this abrupt increase in the concentration of the metabolites in the body was actually facilitating the cure of the cancer in the lungs (originally rooting from the bones) and preventing its further spreading.

EPA-EAs – an effective agent in arresting metastasis

The endocannabinoids in the body were responsible in perishing the cancerous cells maybe not that effectively like that of the radiation or chemotherapy but effective nonetheless.

It is believed that it abruptly cuts down the blood supply to the cancerous cells, thereby prohibiting their healthy growth. Not just that, the most important effect of the EPA-EAs is the fact that it arrests the process of metastasis which localizes the harmful cancerous cells to just one site in the body.

Although there are continuous researches going on regarding this subject, Dr Das clarified that the concentrated administration of the endocannabinoid epoxides derivates can be fruitful in combating the signs and symptoms of cancer.

Quoting the woman behind the work herself, Dr Aditi Das said that this naturally “in-built” cannabinoid system in our body is expected to impose anti-cancer properties but will also help fight inflammation, metastasis and even the pain that accompanies that deadly disease.