High dietary (n-3)/(n-6) fatty acid ratio lowers breast cancer risk.

2003 JUL 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New evidence supports the theory that a diet containing a high (n-3)/(n-6) fatty acid ratio lowers the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women.

"Recent research has suggested that an increased (n-3) fatty acid intake and/or increased (n-3)/(n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio in the diet is associated with a lower breast cancer risk. This case-control study investigated the association between intake of (n-3) and other fatty acids and the (n-3)/(n-6) PUFA ratio and breast cancer risk," scientists in the United States report.

"After combining data from two related case-control studies in Connecticut, we had information available on a total of 1,119 women (565 cases and 554 controls)," stated Shelley L. Goodstine and colleagues at Yale University. "Cases were all histologically confirmed, incident breast carcinoma patients. Controls were hospital-based (Yale-New Haven Hospital study site) and population-based (Tolland County study site). Information on dietary intake was obtained through a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Standard multivariate methods were used to address the independent effects of specific fatty acids, fat classes, and macronutrients on breast cancer risk."

The researchers found, "In the full study population, there were no significant trends for any macronutrient/fatty acid when comparing the highest to the lowest quartile of intake. When the analysis was restricted to premenopausal women, ...