Dietary Interventions Against Mammary Glands and Prostate Cancers

Dietary components modulate normal cellular functions and, in cancer cells, alter processes that lead to cancer and/or its progression. The change in the patterns of human food production and consumption over time has contributed to increasing risk for diseases including cancer. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are classes of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids in the human diet and are required for normal growth and development. Omega-3 and omega-6 fats are thought to be required in the ratio of 1:1 to 1:4 on which humans are thought to have evolved. However, the Western diet has greatly shifted from this ratio. The Western diet consists of high omega-6 and low omega-3 fat ratio as high as 50:1. Consumption of a diet high in omega-3 fat is associated with reduced risk for some cancers, whereas consumption of a diet high in omega-6 fat is associated with increased risk. We hypothesized that canola oil in the maternal diet or, regular walnut consumption, or fish oil in adult diet as sources of omega-3 fat to increase omega-3 fat and reduce omega-6 fat in the diet, might reduce the risk for breast and prostate cancers in the C3(1)TAg mouse. Consumption of high omega-3 diet from canola oil by mothers suppressed mammary gland tumorigenesis in the female offspring. Walnut consumption suppressed mammary gland tumorigenesis more than high omega-3 diet from canola oil, and high omega-3 diet from fish oil suppressed prostate tumorigenesis