Randomized Study of the Effect of Vitamin D and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Cosupplementation as Adjuvant Chemotherapy on Inflammation and Nutritional Status in Colorectal Cancer Patients

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of vitamin D₃ and omega-3 fatty acids cosupplementation on inflammation and nutritional status in colorectal cancer patients. In this clinical trial, 81 colorectal cancer patients were randomly assigned into four groups: (1) control group: receiving a vitamin D₃ placebo weekly + omega-3 fatty acid placebo capsules daily; (2) omega-3 fatty acid group: receiving 2 omega-3 fatty acid capsules (each capsule containing 330 mg of omega-3 fatty acids) daily + a vitamin D₃ placebo weekly; (3) vitamin D group: receiving a 50,000 IU vitamin D₃ soft gel weekly + 2 omega-3 fatty acid placebo capsules daily; (4) cosupplementation group: receiving a 50,000 IU vitamin D₃ soft gel weekly + 2 omega-3 fatty acids capsules daily for 8 weeks. Before and after the intervention, height, weight, fat-free mass (FFM), serum levels of 25(OH)D, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and albumin, were measured. After 8 weeks of intervention, patients who received combined vitamin D₃ and omega-3 fatty acids supplements compared with omega-3, vitamin D₃, and placebo groups had significantly decreased CRP and TNF-α. In addition, serum level of IL-6 was decreased significantly in omega-3, vitamin D₃, and cosupplementation groups compared with baseline. Regarding nutritional status, weight, BMI, and FFM% were increased significantly in vitamin D₃, omega-3, and cosupplementation groups at the end of the intervention. Vitamin D₃ plus omega-3 fatty acids cosupplementation in colorectal cancer patients has beneficial impacts on inflammation and nutritional status.

Keywords:

• colorectal cancer
• inflammatory biomarkers
• nutritional status
• omega-3 fatty acids
• vitamin D

Acknowledgments

This article was based on a data set of a Ph.D. thesis (Grant NO. NRC-9637) registered in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. We acknowledge the contribution of research participants who were involved in this study.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

About the authors

Fatemeh Haidari, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences, Department of Nutrition, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

Behnaz Abiri, Ph.D. Student in Nutritional Sciences, Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Paramedicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

Masood Iravani, Fellowship in Oncology and Hematology, Medical Oncologist, Assistant Professor of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Oncology and Hematology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Kambiz Ahmadi-Angali, Ph.D. in Biostatistics, Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

Mohammadreza Vafa, Ph.D., Professor of Nutritional Sciences, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences.