Cancer: Omega 3, vitamin D and sport reduce your risk by 61%!

A new study of a group of people over the age of 70 shows that vitamin D, omega 3 and physical exercise reduce the risk of cancer by 61%. Results informed by the point of view of Dr Christophe De Jaeger, physiologist and member of the expert committee of Doctissimo.

Published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, this study subjects a group of people aged 75 on average to simple physical exercise, carried out at home, combined with the intake of vitamin D and omega 3.

Multiple groups to estimate different effects

To carry out this work, the authors studied a group of volunteers made up of 2157 participants from five European countries (Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria and Portugal), for five years, between December 2012 and December 2017.

The participants were then divided into eight different groups to test the individual and combined benefits of the different elements.

The first group received 2,000 IU per day of vitamin D3, 1 g per day of omega-3 and followed three times a week sessions of muscle exercises.

Group two received no physical training but received the vitamins;

Group 3 did not receive omega 3 but did have vitamin D and exercise;

Group 4 received no vitamin D but had omega 3 and exercise;

Group 5, for its part, took vitamin D3 alone;

Group 6 took only omega 3;

Group 7 only performed the physical exercises;

The eighth group received a placebo.

A 61% risk reduction

During the study, the volunteers were followed by phone calls every three months and underwent various health examinations. In their conclusions, the first group, having accumulated omega 3, vitamin D and physical exercise, saw their risk of developing cancer decrease by 61%.

The first two following groups also showed a slight benefit, but it was the combination of the three that showed the best results.

Defining the right concept of physical exercise

The authors explain that taken individually, omega 3 vitamin D and sport have virtues to fight against the appearance of cancers. This is confirmed by Dr. Christophe De Jaeger, physiologist and member of the Doctissimo expert committee: "Studies have already demonstrated the virtues of sports activity, which would reduce the risk of cancer by 50%. By adding omega 3 and vitamin D, it is possible that it increases this number".

For the specialist, the only difficulty in reproducing these results in the elderly concerns the notion of physical exercise: "When we talk about physical exercise, we have to clearly define what exercise we are talking about. Go on foot to get your baguette, it's good, but it's not walking. When we talk about walking, it's putting on your sneakers and walking at least an hour at a consistent pace. For bodybuilding, it's doing the plank, for 1 minute at least 5 times in a row".

Improving prevention

The objective of this work for researchers is to improve cancer prevention. Indeed, the disease is widespread in developed countries and is the second leading cause of death among the elderly. In addition, the risk of developing cancer increases with age, which is why scientists want to improve prevention. In conclusion, the study authors believe that their results, "although based on multiple comparisons and requiring replication, may prove beneficial in reducing cancer burden."