What should myeloma patients know about omega 3?

What should myeloma patients know about omega 3? So omega three fatty acids are three types. There's ALA alpha-linolenic acid, EPA eicosapentaenoic acid, and DHA docosahexaenoic acid.. ALA usually gets converted to DHA and EPA. And so they are the little bit more active forms in the body. You can get omega three fatty acids from foods such as fatty fish, but also from but fatty fish get the omega three fatty acids from eating microalgae.

So in terms of how we can get omega three fatty acids, plant sources include things like chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, all of them have quite a bit of ALA in them. And if you're trying to think of other DHA and EPA, many people take supplements. There are supplements that are actually made from the algae oil as well.

And then there are flaxseed oil supplements too. Most people think about omega three as fish oil supplements? But I think that going straight to the source from where it comes, instead of going to the intermediary, the fish, which is getting it from the microalgae, is probably a better way to get the omega three. Also, because we do know that the fatty fish, there's the risk of the mercury and micro plastics and other contamination.

And it depends on how the fish are grown that they get enough omega three because if they are fish that are wild caught, they're more likely to probably have the omega three. But if they are in harvested from like, farming, then they may not have the natural microalgae to eat to get the omega three. So it's a little bit more complicated that way.

And then in terms of in myeloma, omega three, I think that there isn't enough data to recommend it to all patients to take at this time. But I do think that there is some early, like again, cell line data that shows that maybe omega three has some inhibitory properties on myeloma cell lines and some anti-inflammatory properties and maybe in neuropathy it helps in combination with bortezomib.

But again, all of this is very like cell line data, mouse models, early data. We are looking at omega three in one of our studies. The nutrivention three study and actually that also the nutrivention two study once it opens. And these are in patients with a precursor plasma cell disorders. So like MGUS and smoldering myeloma.

But I think we will get a comprehensive understanding of what omega three does on the microbiome and then maybe how it may affect the body. We do know from not myeloma patients, but healthy individuals. Omega three may have some effects on the healthier bacteria. And so that may be one of the mechanisms through which it works. And I think that's what we'll try to study more comprehensively.

So at this time, I wouldn't say that everybody should be taking omega three unless there's a specific reason that maybe it benefits them for. And it's something that I think we need more data on.