Fresh studies have shown that eating diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as oily fish, and soy bean can reduce the ability of breast cancer cells to develop to malignant tumours, and improve menopausal symptoms and related quality of life. CHUKWUMA MUANYA reports.
WOMEN suffering from breast cancer and painful menopausal symptoms can heave a sigh of relief following fresh findings that a meal of oily fish and soy bean can fix the condition.
Indeed, new research published Tuesday in the journal Breast Cancer Research suggests that Omega-3, the fatty acid found in oily fish, could be combined with a commonly used anesthetic to develop drugs to treat breast cancer.
According to the study, compounds of Omega-3 fatty acids and propofol reduce the ability of breast cancer cells to develop into malignant tumours, inhibiting cancer cell migration by 50 per cent and significantly reducing their metastatic activity. These new compounds could be developed into a new family of anti-cancer drugs.
Meanwhile, another new research results published on Tuesday indicate that soy that contains isoflavone improves menopausal symptoms and related quality of life when given in adequate doses to postmenopausal women.
Dr Rafat Siddiqui, from the Methodist Research Institute and Indiana University in Indianapolis, United States and his colleagues studied the effect of two Omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), combined with propofol on a breast cancer cell line in vitro. Omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA have a minimal effect on cancer cells when applied alone. Propofol is a potent anti-oxidant known to inhibit cancer cell migration by only five-10 per cent.
The results of the study show that propofol and DHA or EPA have a much more significant effect on cancer cells when used in combination, as conjugates, than when used alone. The conjugates inhibit cancer cell adhesion by 15 per cent and 30 per cent respectively, reduce cell migration by 50 per cent and increase apoptosis by 40 per cent.
"These results suggest that the novel propofol-DHA and propofol-EPA conjugates reported here may be useful for the treatment of breast cancer" conclude Siddiqui and colleagues.
Studies on the benefits of soy for relieving menopausal symptoms have produced mixed results.
"This is important because a lot of women are looking for a natural alternative to estrogen replacement therapy and our results suggest that soy is an option," Dr. Kendall Dupree said.
Dupree, from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, United States discussed the results of the study in the Endocrine Society's journal.
In the current study, Dupree's group used a standardized soy product, sold online as Revival, which contains 160 milligrams of total isoflavones, soy-derived antioxidants.
"We performed an independent analysis on the product," Dupree said, and then randomly assigned 43 postmenopausal women to the soy product or placebo daily for three months. The average age of the women was 55 years and they had been off hormone replacement therapy for at least six months prior to entering the study.
All of the women completed a menopause-specific quality-of-life questionnaire at the beginning of the study and again after six weeks and three months.
Compared with placebo therapy, soy therapy led to a 40-percent reduction in psychosocial complaints involving mood and depression, a 36-percent reduction in hot flashes and night sweats, as well as and a 30-percent reduction in other physical symptoms, primarily low energy, Dupree reported.
"At this point, we are pretty happy about the results and think that soy, in adequate doses, may show some improvement in quality of life in women who have postmenopausal complaints," she said.
A nutritionist at the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Dr Rosemary Anyanwu told The Guardian that symptoms that sometimes occur with menopause include night swears and hot flashes. "These are due to a loss of temperature control - one of the by-products of a slowed production of estrogen. because of their weak estrogen-like effects, soybean isoflavones may be an alternative way to control menopausal symptoms," she said.
Anyanwu explained: " In Japan, where soy foods are commonly consumed daily, women are only one-third as likely to report menopausal symptoms as in the United States or Canada. In fact, there is no word in the Japanese language for "hot flashes". Even though their estrogen activity is weak, isoflavones may be potent enough to reduce menopausal symptoms. In fact, research has shown that women who ate soy flour daily experienced about a 40 percent reduction in menopausal symptoms.
"Since estrogen helps protect against osteoporosis and heart disease, women are at greater risk for both of these problems after menopause. Adding soy foods or an isoflavone supplement may provide some benefit.
"Finally there may be a future for soy as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy. There is much excitement about this area of study, but it is still too early to tell. However, with many women approaching menopause - and a resounding majority feeling uncomfortable about taking synthetic estrogen or hormone replacement therapy - more research is called for. In fact, nearly one-third of all prescriptions for hormone replacement therapy go unfilled."
Corroborating Anyanwu, a naturopath at Elizabeth Kafaru Herbal Home, Dr Godwin Ihesie said " many of the compounds in soy have anti-cancer properties. Of particular interest is the antioxidant activity of these compounds. Researchers have isolated two isoflavones, genistein and daidzein, and are studying the cancer prevention and treatment properties of theses compounds.
" Hormone-dependent cancers such as breast, ovarian and prostate have responded especially well to a soy-rich diet or soy supplementation. While much promise existed with this important food source, more research is required to confirm the potential far-reading benefits in the treatment of all cancers."
According to another nutritionist, Dr Chinyere Ogbonna, science has discovered that the type of dietary fat (monosaturated, saturated, polyunsaturated) humans consume alters the production of an important group of biological compounds known as eicosanoids. " These compounds affect blood pressure, blood clotting, inflammation, immune function and coronary spasms.
" Omega 3 oils produce a series of eicosanoids that have been shown to decrease the risk for heart disease, inflammatory processes and certain cancers. Omega 3 provide additional heart-healthy benefits by decreasing blood lipids (cholesterol, Low Density Lipoprotein-LDL's-, and triglycerides), decreasing blood clotting factors, increasing beneficial relaxation in larger arteries and blood vessels, and decreasing inflammatory processes in blood vessels."
The Omega 3 oils found in certain types of seafood, especially Salmon, have also been linked to improvements in or prevention of certain kinds of cancer, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, arthritis, asthma, certain kinds of mental illness, depression and lupus erythematosus.
Indeed, malignant cancer cells are highly invasive cells that have lost the ability to sense cues from their environment. As a result, they start dividing abnormally, migrate and accumulate into malignant tumours, in a process called metastasis, which is potentially life-threatening. The aim of anti-cancer drugs is therefore to prevent the cells from dividing abnormally and from spreading, to kill the cells, or to cause the cells to kill themselves.
Fatty acids are often attached to drugs, because they facilitate the absorption of the drugs by the cells. Siddiqui and colleagues explain that DHA and EPA might have had this effect on propofol. The researchers add "It is possible that these conjugates provide a mechanism whereby propofol can be retained in cell membranes for a longer duration and therefore enhance its anticancer effects".
Omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in oily fish such as tuna, salmon, herring, sardines and mackerel, are already known to have many positive health benefits. They are commonly recommended for maintaining a healthy heart, as they are known to reduce cholesterol levels and thought to help prevent cardiovascular disease. Research suggests that Omega-3 may also protect against arthritis, lupus, and asthma and help people with biopolar disorder.
What have most interested scientists in recent years are the discovery of non-nutritive phytochemicals and the profound benefits of soy on human health. Reported benefits of soy include promoting heart health and healthy bones, preventing cancer and alleviating menopausal symptoms. Health-conscious people have known for decades the benefits of soy foods and that they are a fun and healthful addition to the diet. It is widely known that soy beans contain high amounts of protein, including all essential amino acids (the only such vegetable source). Soy beans are also a reported rich source of calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, B-vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and fibre.
