Fatty fish may lower cancer risk in women
You've heard me talk about the health benefits of fatty fish. Well, now other medical experts are talking about it too.
In a recent study out of Sweden, researchers found that eating fatty fish (but not lean fish or shellfish) can actually cut a woman's risk of cancer.
In the past, researchers who've studied dietary links between fish and cancer failed to find any proof that there was any healing connection. But those researchers failed to differentiate between lean fish an fatty fish, which are full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D-both nutrients that can help prevent cancer when consumed in high enough quantities.
So in a recent study, a group of researchers in Sweden decided to examine 15 years of data on 61,433 women between the ages of 40 and 76, including some food questionnaires.
It turned out that the women who ate fatty fish at least once a week had a 44 percent lower risk of developing kidney cancer than women who ate little to no fish at all. And the women who ate lots of fatty fish over a 10-year period had a 74 percent lower risk of kidney caner.
Fatty fish usually include salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel. Lean fish include cod, tuna, and freshwater fish.
If you don't like fish, or if you just don't have time to prepare enough of it every week, there's a much simpler way to incorporate omega-3s into your diet: Try taking fish oil supplements. These supplements are cheap and easy to find in your local pharmacy or supplement store. For a healthy minimum I recommend 900-1200 milligrams daily of total EPA plus DHA, the two omega 3 fatty acids that confer the majority of important benefits. Check out the label for exact amounts (usually 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA). Three capsules of most brands, which you can take all at once or spread out with meals, if you prefer, will do the trick. Keep 'em in the freezer, however, since this will help prevent fish oil burp, which happens now and then for some people (less than 10% in my experience).
