‘Good Fats’ Always Good

On January 19, 2010, the British Journal of Nutrition published a study that concluded that increased intakes of fats — whether from saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats — might increase the risk of prostate cancer. Medical researchers who surveyed 512 men with prostate cancer and 838 healthy controls noted that men with the highest average-intake of total fat had an increase of 153 percent in prostate cancer compared with men with the lowest average-intake of total fat.
Must we conclude that a diet rich in a balance of Omega 3:Omega 6 fatty acids has the same effect as a diet laden with trans/hydrogenated fats? While admitting that the carbohydrates in a French-fries-and-soda combo are not identical to the carbohydrates in steamed broccoli, medicine has been slow to acknowledge that not all fats are the same. Total fat-consumption is important; but men at risk of prostate cancer would be wise to educate themselves about their intake of the essential fatty acids and the balance of omega 3:omega 6 in their diet, and to eliminate all “bad fats.” Demonizing fat is not a wise message for practitioners to give their patients wishing to prevent prostate cancer.