WASHINGTON – Breast cancer survivors have every reason to feel fatigued, but some of them don’t.
Follow them for more than three years, and those least likely to feel fatigued are the ones eating the most Omega-3 fatty acids.
Authors of a recent study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology tell Men’s Health Magazine there’s no reason why the findings couldn’t apply to other cancers as well.
There’s a catch, though. According to the study, the benefit that lessens fatigue works best if you’re not overdoing it. Eating omega-6 fats, often found in processed and fast foods, could counteract its positive effects.
Omega-3 fatty acids have many benefits. The New York Times quotes a recent analysis of 17 studies in the journal Pain. The studies found that daily supplements of Omega-3 fish oils can significantly reduce joint pain related to inflammation.
Omega-3s are mostly found in oily fish, like salmon, anchovies, sardines and trout. But they’re also in flax and Chia seeds — yes, the seeds used to grow fuzzy plant hair on clay animals.
Vegetarian wellness.com is among those saying Chia seeds are a great source of Omega-3s. They say it was considered such a super food that Aztec warriors could supposedly survive on just 1 teaspoon of it per day.
WTOP’s Kristi King contributed to this report. Follow Kristi and WTOP on Twitter.
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