Healthy living
Healthy eating
Oily fish may help protect against kidney cancer
Eating salmon, or other types of oily fish, may help you to avoid cancer of the kidneys, according to a major new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association
Kidney cancer accounts for just under 3 per cent of all cancers in men and just under 2 per cent of all cancers in women in the UK. Even though it is a relatively rare cancer, there have been reports of increasing incidence and mortality across the world.
Researchers in Sweden looked at the eating habits of 90,000 women over a 10-year period, and checked who had gone on to develop kidney cancer. At least one portion of oily fish a week reduced the risk of this type of cancer by 74 per cent compared with those who never ate oily fish.
Experts believe that the health benefits come from the fact that oily fish contains substances that seem to protect against cancer, including omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D.
Omega-3 is a polyunsaturate, which is essential for a healthy diet, but which isn't made by the body and must be absorbed through the food you eat. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is found in food and can also be made in your body after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun.
Current government health guidelines encourage us to eat moderate amounts of oily fish. The Food Standards Agency recommends that adult should eat two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily, as part of a balanced diet. Higher amounts are advised after a heart attack.
Among their many benefits, omega-3 fatty acids can help to stop blood clots, which can lead to a stroke or heart attack. They may also help the body's immune system fight illness.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in oily fish, such as salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, pilchards, herring, kipper, eel and whitebait. All of these count as oily fish when canned, fresh or frozen.
You can also find omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed (linseed) oil, nuts, green leafy vegetables and red meat. Alternatively, you can take an omega-3 supplement.
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Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.