New research done by Vera Mazurak, PhD, of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada explains how consumption of fish oil will prevent weight loss and muscle loss in patients who undergo chemotherapy. Chemotherapy, being a chemical treatment that will kill cancerous cells shows to decrease a persons muscle and weight. Researchers show that cancer patients that undergo chemotherapy are most vulnerable to these reactions. This may lead to fatigue, a decreased quality of life, an inability to receive necessary treatments, and shorter survival (Blackwell 2011).
This study compared 2 groups one who consumed the fish oil (16 people) and those who were cured from chemotherapy without taking fish oil (24 people). This test was done on a 10 week duration where muscle and fat were measured in blood samples for data collection. Results showed that patients who took the fish oil maintained similar weight after chemotherapy, whereas the patients who did not consume fish oil lost 2.3kg in body weight.
The phenomenon behind the fish oil is due to its chemical reactions. The eicosapentaenoic acid (fish oil) concentration increase in the blood following fish oil supplementation had the greatest gains in muscle (Blackwell 2011). Therefore, patients who receive chemotherapy by consumption of 2 grams of fish oil per day can prevent the muscle and weight loss associated with it.
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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228090202.htm
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