Can fish consumption raise the cancer risk?
A study examines if fish eaters are more likely to acquire skin cancer.
If you are attempting to maintain a healthy diet, fish is an excellent option. Moreover, fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and numerous other nutrients.
Eating more fish can mean consuming fewer items with unhealthy fats and consuming more calories.
In fact, dietitians typically encourage consuming more seafood (and fewer burgers and pretzels) to enhance one’s diet, and dietary recommendations include fish as a component of a balanced diet.
Therefore, it is interesting that a recent cancer study reveals a link between eating fish and acquiring skin cancer, Firstly given that sun exposure is the greatest known risk factor for developing skin cancer, not food.
The likelihood of developing skin cancer after five or more sunburns increasesSecondly by two.
A study ties the consumption of fish with an increased risk of skin cancer.
Each year, skin cancer, the most lethal form of human cancer, is responsible for about 7,500 deaths in the United States. The global economy is on the rise.
In the latest study, fish eaters were found to have a greater chance of developing skin cancer. This is one of the broadest and most comprehensive examinations of this connection.
In 1995 or 1996, about 500,000 people in six U.S. states responded to a diet questionnaire.
Over the next 15 years, researchers tracked the incidence of skin cancer and discovered:
Those who ate the most fish (approximately 2.6 servings per week) had a 22% greater incidence of skin cancer than those who ate the least (0.2 servings per week, or about one serving every five weeks). Similar patterns were reported for tuna consumption.
Similarly, the chance of getting precancerous skin alterations (called melanoma) was elevated among those who consumed the most fish.
Interestingly, the researchers did not find a link between fried fish consumption and an increased risk of skin cancer. It is unclear why, if eating fish increases the risk of skin cancer, as the study implies, frying fish lowers the danger.
Does this imply that fish consumption causes skin cancer?
No, not like that. It is too soon to draw certain conclusions regarding the connection between the fish in our meals and skin cancer. The study included several limitations, including as
study design. Observational studies such as this one can suggest a link between food and cancer, but they cannot prove it.
Rely on data from self-reported surveys. The number of weekly fish servings reported by individuals may not be correct. In addition, the researchers erroneously believed that the fish intake recorded in the initial study persisted for 15 years.
Consider these more considerations. Variable exposure to sunlight based on a participant’s location is one factor that influences the risk of skin cancer
. The study did not collect information on sun exposure, past sunburns, or the usage of sunscreen, which are all crucial factors in skin cancer risk. The researchers did not inquire about skin type or mole count.
Pale skin and numerous moles increase the chance of developing skin cancer.
pollutants. Fish may be linked to skin cancer due to the presence of mercury or arsenic in their flesh. According to earlier research, mercury exposure is associated with an increased risk of skin cancer, especially melanomas.
a scarcity of varietyNine out of ten study participants were white, so it is unclear whether the findings are applicable to people of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds.
Are certain fish safer to consume than others?
This question was not explored in the research. However, if contaminants such as mercury in fish are responsible for the increased risk of skin cancer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides recommendations for safer fish to eat, especially for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women.
However, even if it is verified that eating fish increases the risk of skin cancer, moreover other good effects of fish consumption (such as cardiovascular benefits) may outweigh these dangers by a significant margin.
The conclusion
The study’s authors do not propose changing the amount of fish that people consume. Additional research is required to confirm the findings, analyze the types of fish that influence the risk of skin cancer, and discover whether certain pollutants in fish are responsible for extra dangers.
Meanwhile, fish with reduced mercury levels (such as salmon and shellfish) continue to be preferable to the high-fat, processed foods typical of Western diets.
