A combination of three simple treatments may reduce invasive cancer risk by 61% among adults aged 70+.
According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2020 approximately 1.8 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed and 600,000 people died from the disease in the United States. It is the second leading cause of death among older adults and is considered a major age-related disease with the risk of developing most cancers increasing with age.
Frequent screening could catch signs of cancer early when treatment is far more effective. Yet preventing it altogether would be even better. According to new research, adults 70 years old and above can reduce their cancer risks by 61% with a combination of three simple treatments.
New research published in the journal Frontiers in Aging found that a combination of high-dose vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and a simple home strength exercise program (SHEP) reduced cancer risk by 61 percent in healthy persons aged 70 and older. It is the first study to look at the combined benefit of three low-cost public health interventions for the prevention of invasive cancers. Following future studies, the results may influence the future of cancer prevention in older adults.
Cancer is regarded as a major age-related disease in Europe and the US. It is the second leading cause of death in older adults, and the risk of developing most cancers increases with age.
Apart from preventative recommendations such as not smoking and sun protection, public health efforts that focus on cancer prevention are limited, according to Dr. Heike Bischoff-Ferrari of the University Hospital Zurich: “Preventive efforts in middle-aged and older adults today are largely limited to screening and vaccination efforts.”
Vitamin D, Omega-3, and Exercise
Mechanistic studies have shown that vitamin D inhibits the growth of cancer cells. Similarly, omega-3 may inhibit the transformation of normal cells into cancer cells, and exercise has been shown to improve immune function and decrease inflammation, which may help in the prevention of cancer.
However, there was a lack of robust clinical studies proving the effectiveness of these three simple interventions, alone or combined.
Bischoff-Ferrari and her colleagues wanted to fill these knowledge gaps by testing the effect of daily high-dose vitamin D3 (one form of vitamin D supplements), daily supplemental omega-3s, and a simple home exercise program, alone and in combination, on the risk of invasive cancer among adults aged 70 or older.
A Combination of Simple Treatments
To do so, the researchers conducted the DO-HEALTH trial: a three-year trial in five European countries (Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, and Portugal) with 2,157 participants.
“In DO-HEALTH, our aim was to test promising combined interventions for cancer prevention taking advantage of potentially small additive benefits from several public health strategies,” explained Bischoff-Ferrari. “In fact, novel cancer treatments aim to block multiple pathways for cancer development by combining several agents. We translated this concept into cancer prevention.”
The participants were randomized into eight different groups to test the individual and combined benefit of the interventions: group one received 2,000 IU per day of Vitamin D3 (equivalent to > 200% the amount of current recommendations for older adults, which is 800 IU per day), 1g per day of omega-3s, and three times per week SHEP; group two vitamin D3 and omega-3s; group three vitamin D3 and SHEP; group four omega-3s and SHEP; group five vitamin D3 alone; group six omega-3s alone; group seven SHEP alone; and the last group received a placebo.
Participants received check-up phone calls every three months and had standardized examinations of health and function in the trial centers at baseline, year 1, year 2, and year 3.
Preventing Invasive Cancer
The results show that all three treatments (vitamin D3, omega-3s, and SHEP) had cumulative benefits on the risk of invasive cancers.
Each of the treatments had a small individual benefit but when all three treatments were combined, the benefits became statistically significant, and the researchers saw an overall reduction in cancer risk by 61%.
“This is the first randomized controlled trial to show that the combination of daily vitamin D3, supplemental marine omega-3s, and a simple home exercise program may be effective in the prevention of invasive cancer among generally healthy and active adults aged 70 and older,” Bischoff-Ferrari commented.
The results may impact the future of invasive cancer prevention in older adults. Bischoff-Ferrari concluded: “Our results, although based on multiple comparisons and requiring replication, may prove to be beneficial for reducing the burden of cancer.”
“Future studies should verify the benefit of combined treatments in the prevention of cancer, also extending to longer follow-ups beyond the three-year duration assessed in this trial.”
Reference: “Combined Vitamin D, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and a Simple Home Exercise Program May Reduce Cancer Risk Among Active Adults Aged 70 and Older: A Randomized Clinical Trial” by Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, Walter C. Willett, JoAnn E. Manson, Bess Dawson-Hughes, Markus G. Manz, Robert Theiler, Kilian Braendle, Bruno Vellas, René Rizzoli, Reto W. Kressig, Hannes B. Staehelin, José A. P. Da Silva, Gabriele Armbrecht, Andreas Egli, John A. Kanis, Endel J. Orav and Stephanie Gaengler, DO-HEALTH Research Group, 25 April 2022, Frontiers in Aging.
DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2022.852643
Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.
Follow us on Google and Google News.
16 Comments
In other words, what people in the alternative medicine field have been saying for many years is now accepted as true.
Exactly!
You should share their workout routine for other older folks.
Yes, what are the at home exercises for three days a week? I think those that walk everyday are in good standing too…at least it appears that lots of walking is always a health benefit.
… when it comes to cancer radiation might be bad, but goat milk could help. In short, if you eat something to grow, then that is not good… …
Yes, please share the workout routine!
Vitamins and exercise aren’t alternative medicine, George.
I didn’t see a single mention of essential oils or other hokum in this article.
You obviously never been to an alternative medical doctor
I am well aware how the flu injection first introduced a virus which developed into the coronav., and yone it has developed to expose the weak, suspect a culling effect was expected.
Mankind would have done a lot better by mandatory world wide efforts to limit having more than 2-3 children for an approximate time limit of something like 5 years. A method far more humane than injecting toxic matter into people.
Consequently this coronav., Has done more damage than anticipated to everyone that was experimented on and the real extent of the outcome may have been to do some damage but not enough to achieve the required means and further “jabs–
We now must protect ourselves from those that would slowly introduce further fake or useless information to reverse mankind to a state of simpletons and brain impaired humans starting the history cycles used in the past again.
By eating the forbidden fruit … we have acquired awareness to free ourselves from slavery, which must have terrified some species from allowing us to obtain longer lives and better conscious awareness to free us to live a life as we should live.
So, ladies and gentlemen, be aware of false sciences being released among all of us to keep as at arm’s reach to harvest.
*Weird science,, will once again to keep us in place if we don’t listen and look at past historical educational standards.
True true
To constantly take a preventive virus to prevent getting a virus doesn’t make sense. At what point have you destroyed the ability to naturally over come a desease.
These last 2 comments on cause & affects of vaccine and flu vaccination then causing the coronavirus ( 19) is so ridiculous I can’t believe people think this way.
The difference is ignorance of how science and the body function but than deciding to conjecture some private belief system. Wow.
Here is a fact. George Washington used smallpox vaccination for his troops and provided by a slave.
So vaccination is an accepted science for what 300+ years.
Scientific application is a truly marvelous fact & reality that has been as helpful in alleviating suffering sand extending life from a span of 40 years to 70,80 or 90 years of current life span.
Worldwide less people per the ability of the globe to sustain life or the effects of climate warming are also real. How we actually accept and deal with this problem is the trial of our times. Greed, ignorance and a willingness to accept this reality is also required.
Ur ignorance precludes u.
Due to science and medical advances the human life span has increased 90 days per year on average for the last 200 years. Diet and regular exercise are paramount.
Debt slavery is the new slavery courtesy of the global fascist capitalists
I believe they did a SHEP workout like this in the study https://youtu.be/PyUP10dh8CE