Shëndeti

Researchers find a strange link between eating fish and skin cancer

Researchers find a strange link between eating fish and skin cancer

A large study published Wednesday revealed a startling link between fish consumption and the development of melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer. But while the discovery raises questions about the possible links between diet and melanoma, the study’s lead author and other experts warned that this is not a reason to avoid eating fish. Also do not change the most important tips for reducing the risk of melanoma: Limit your exposure to UV rays from the sun.

The new study, published in the journal Cancer Causes & Control, estimated data from more than 490,000 adults in the United States between the ages of 50 and 71. At the start of the study, participants completed detailed questionnaires, including information about fish intake, and then followed for about 15 years to track cancer diagnoses among the group. Compared to those who ate very little fish, the group that ate more - on average about three servings per week - had 22 percent more cases of malignant melanoma, the researchers found.

It is not clear why eating fish can affect a person’s risk of developing melanoma, said Eunyoung Cho, an associate professor of dermatology at Brown University and lead author of the study.

"We believe it is not the fish itself, but maybe some contaminant that is in the fish," she said.

Other studies have found that people who eat more fish have higher levels of heavy metals like mercury and arsenic in the body. The same pollutants are also associated with a higher risk of skin cancer, she noted. However, her study did not measure the levels of pollutants in participants and more research is needed to explore this link, she said.