A new study conducted by scientists at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has found that eating fatty fish, which contains higher levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)(omega-3's) than lean fish, significantly decreases the risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in women.
Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study is the first to address RCC, which accounts for 80% of all kidney cancers. RCC has been on the rise in the United States.
"This is the first time that a link between the consumption of fatty fish and renal cancer has been studied," said Professor Alicja Wolk, principal investigator of the study. "The reason previous studies have been unable to demonstrate a link between fish consumption and renal cancer is that they made no distinction between fatty and nonfatty fish."
Researchers analyzed data from the Swedish Mammography Cohort, a population-based study of 61,433 women without previous diagnosis of cancer at baseline (1987-1990). Participants completed two food frequency questionnaires -one at baseline with a mammography, and another in September 1997.
"At least one portion of fatty fish a week during the period (1987-2004) reduced the risk of renal cancer by 74 per cent compared with those who never ate fatty fish. The group who ate fresh fish at least once a week but for whom follow-up information were unavailable, saw a 40 per cent reduction."
Statistics confirm that Americans have the lowest intake of omega-3 of any developed country. Studies published in peer-reviewed journals have reported that patients with an array of diseases may be deficient in omega-3, folic acid, and vitamins B6 and B12. This article was prepared by Biotech Business Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2006, Biotech Business Week via NewsRx.com.
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