Eating Two Portions Of Fish Per Week Linked To Deadly Skin Cancer, New Study Suggests

EAT

Jun 14

New analysis of nearly half a million adults in the United States reveals a connection between melanoma and fish consumption, with bio-contaminants like mercury a possible factor.

Eating just two portions of fish per week has been linked to an increased risk of skin cancer, according to new analysis published in the journal Cancer Causes and Control.

The research study, from experts at Brown University in the United States, surveyed 491,367 adults between the ages of 50 and 71. The subjects, who were recruited between 1995 and 1996 from the N.I.H.-A.A.R.P. Diet and Health Study, completed questionnaires reporting on their fried fish, non-fried fish, and tuna intake. Then, to monitor for potential cancer diagnoses, they were followed for a fifteen-year time period.

The researchers found that those who ate the highest portions of fish were 22 percent more likely to develop malignant melanoma than those who barely consumed any fish.

Those who ate more fish were also 28 percent more likely to develop abnormal cells in the outer layer of the skin, known as stage 0 cancer or melanoma in situ.

People who ate around ¾ of a serving of tuna each week had a 20 percent higher risk of malignant melanoma and a 17 percent higher risk of stage 0 melanoma, compared to those who hardly ate any.

The study accounted for other factors that could influence the results, such as weight, physical activity levels, smoking and drinking history, family history of cancer, and the average ultraviolet radiation levels in each participant’s local area. Risk factors not accounted for include mole count, hair color, history of severe sunburn, and sun-related behaviors.

“This study is important because it’s very large and it’s prospective by design, meaning that fish intake was assessed before the development of cancer,” said author Eunyoung Cho, an associate professor of dermatology and epidemiology at Brown University.

“Although fish intake has increased in the U.S. and Europe in recent decades, the results of previous studies investigating associations between fish intake and melanoma risk have been inconsistent — our findings have identified an association that requires further investigation.”

Melanoma is a common, potentially deadly skin cancer. It is the fifth most common cancer in the U.S., with nearly 100,000 adults expected to be diagnosed with invasive melanoma of the skin this year.

Contaminants

Cho said that an association between mercury levels in the fish likely plays a role in the skin cancer development.

“We speculate that our findings could possibly be attributed to contaminants in fish, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, arsenic and mercury,” Cho said. “Previous research has found that higher fish intake is associated with higher levels of these contaminants within the body and has identified associations between these contaminants and a higher risk of skin cancer. However, we note that our study did not investigate the concentrations of these contaminants in participants’ bodies and so further research is needed to confirm this relationship.”

The solution

Vegan seafood mimics the taste and texture of popular seafood products while eliminating the need to catch, farm, and slaughter over a trillion fish each year. When it comes to conserving our oceans and protecting animals and our health, this is a game-changer.

If you're looking for a seafood feast without the cruelty and ocean devastation, here are some of our favorite plant-based options.

What We Eat Matters: Veganism and Health

The science is clear that following a plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of illnesses including heart disease, cancer, and other serious diseases. Rich in nutrients and significantly lower in saturated fat than animal products, a vegan diet can also boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and help you maintain a healthy body weight.

And, it’s our collective health at stake, too: the United Nations warns that global demand for meat consumption, and intensive animal farming, are among the seven major factors responsible for the increasing threat of new animal-to-human diseases, such as COVID-19, Ebola, and MERS.

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