A study published in Gut, a British Medical Association journal says that a special supplement of omega-3, which is mainly found in fatty fish and some seafood, can reduce not only the number but also the size of polyps in people with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). It is a genetic disease that can cause colon cancer.
This supplement is not yet commercially available. British researchers conducted a study on a group of sick patients. The study included 55 people, half of whom were given 2 g of a new, highly purified form of omega-3 called eicosapentaenoic (EPA). The other half received a placebo.
These early results are quite encouraging because they suggest the possibility that this type of omega-3 also has preventive effects against colon cancer for people with FAP.
In Canada, up to 6% of the population suffers from colon cancer.