Fish-tastic – benefits of oily fish

Nowadays with all the marketing and access to information, most people are aware that eating oily fish regularly has many health benefits, including preventing heart disease and lowering cholesterol.  However, a recent news article went a step further and reported that oily fish can significantly cut the risk of prostate cancer death.

In the UK around 11,000 men die from prostate cancer every year.  Therefore, will increasing ones intake of salmon and mackerels really reduce the risk of dying from prostate?

The report came from a study of 525 men with prostate cancer in Sweden.  The study assessed the men’s diets in the year before they were diagnosed with the disease, and they were then followed for 20 years to identify which of them died from the prostate cancer.  The study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology and was carried out by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and other research centres in the US, Iceland and Sweden

The findings illustrated that those men who had a higher consumption of omega-3 fatty acids from fish, had a lower risk of having died from their prostate cancer.  Whereas men whose prostate cancer had not spread at the time of diagnosis and who had a higher rate of consumption of saturated fats (bad fats that raise cholesterol) were more likely to have died from their disease.

Although further research needs to be carried out before a firm conclusion between, oily fish and surviving prostate cancer, can be established, it is nonetheless true that foods high in omega-3 bring many health benefits.

Why is oily fish good for us?

Incorporating oily fish in our diet has been recognised as boosting our health. Not only is oily fish an excellent source of lean protein, it also contains good levels of important nutrients such as selenium, magnesium, vitamins B12, B6 and B3 and are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (EFA’s).  Therefore oily fish has been identified as playing a vital role in helping to reduce the pain of arthritis, lowering blood pressure and warding off cancer and heart disease.

Tracy Parker, heart health dietician at the British Heart Foundation said, “'The omega 3 in oily fish is good for overall heart health as well as improving survival levels after heart attack because of its anti-inflammatory properties, which help keep the heart blood vessels healthy”.

These fatty acids are also recognised as reducing depression, balancing hormones and are important for maintaining healthy skin.

What fish is oily and how much should we consume?

Fish such as anchovies, mackerel, salmon, sardines, trout, tuna and whitebait contain long-chain omega-3 fatty acids 

The Food Standard Agency (FSA) has recommendations for the amount of fish people should consume each week, and this varies for men and women.  The reason is that although oily fish is good for you, it also contains low levels of pollutants that can build up in the body. 

It is advised that men and boys consume up to four portions of oily fish a week, whereas women should have up to two portions.  Each portion is around 140g.

For further information on the benefits of oily fish, please visit the Food Standard Agency website here.  

Rises in Cancer Rates: 17,000 more middle-aged people are diagnosed with cancer every year, compared to a generation ago

Yesterday's news articles reported the subsequent rises in cancer rates over the past two decades.  The Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail and the Sun, pointed out that cancer rates in the middle-aged have increased “by almost a fifth in a generation”.  The articles highlighted that the rise was mainly a result of better detection of cancer, but also the rise in obesity and unhealthy lifestyles.

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) – The Findings

Figures from Cancer Research UK compared the rates of cancer in Great Britain in 1979 and 2008.  The statistics found that new cancer diagnoses increased by 16 percent in men and 34 percent in women in Great Britain between the 1977-1979 and 2006-2008 reporting periods.  This equated to a rise from 368.3 to 416.7 cases per 100,000 men and from 273.9 to 365.7 cases per 100,000 women.

The increases in cancer rates between 1979 and 2008 varied across age groups, however, the main focus was the rates of cancer in middle-aged individuals (40-59 years old) which saw new diagnoses rise from 329.1 per 100,000 in 1979 to 388.1 per 100,000 in 2008.  It was reported that in 1979 44,000 people in this age group were diagnosed with cancer in Britain and this figure rose to 61,000 in 2008.

The statistics revealed that among 40-59 year olds, prostate cancer rates have risen six fold in 30 years and breast cancer rates have increased by 50 percent.  In comparison, cases of lung cancer in men of this age have dropped from 6,300 to around 2,700 in the same period.  For a break down of all the cancer figures, please visit the Cancer Research UK website by clicking here.

Despite the upward trend, CRUK say that the number of people surviving cancer has almost doubled since the 1970s.  In 1979 in Great Britain there were 215.2 deaths from cancer per 100,000 people, which decreased to 174.4 deaths from cancer per 100,000 people in 2008. 

Why the Increase?  

Although the exact causes for the increases were not directly investigated, CRUK claim that the rises could be contributed to higher detection due to the NHS breast cancer screening programme and the PSA test for prostate cancer.  However, it has also been suggested that these rises are due to modern changes in lifestyle, with people eating more unhealthily and living a sedentary lifestyle, compared to people in the past decades.

Evidence demonstrates that certain lifestyle factors do influence risk of cancer and that smoking, obesity, poor diet, alcohol consumption can be hazardous for our health and may increase the possibility of cancer. 

Therefore, by taking responsibility for our health, by exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and diet, not smoking and reducing our alcohol consumption we can help to limit the risk of cancer.  For further information on cancer prevention, please visit the NHS Choices website by clicking here.