A new study has found evidence linking the consumption of fish small in size, eaten whole, with a reduced risk of mortality from all causes and cancer in Japanese women. Led by Dr Chinatsu Kasahara, Associate Professor Takashi Tamura and Professor Kenji Wakai at Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan, the study highlights the potential life-extending benefits of habitually consuming small fish.
The results were published in the journal Public Health Nutrition.
The benefits of small fish eaten whole
The Japanese routinely eat small fish, such as whitebait, Atlantic capelin, Japanese smelt, and small dried sardines. Importantly, it is common practice to consume whole small fish, including the head, bones and organs, which are rich in micronutrients, such as calcium and vitamin A.
“Previous studies have revealed the protective effect of fish consumption on health outcomes, including mortality risks. However, few studies have focused on the specific effect of small fish intake on health outcomes,” said lead researcher Dr. Kasahara. “I became interested in this topic because since I was a child I have had the habit of eating small fish. Now I feed my children these foods.”
The research team studied the association between consumption of small fish and mortality risk among Japanese. The study included 80,802 participants (34,555 men and 46,247 women) aged 35 to 69 nationwide in Japan.
Participants’ frequency of small fish intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire at baseline. The researchers followed them for an average of nine years. During the follow-up period, 2,482 deaths were recorded among people included in the study, of which approximately 60% (1,495 deaths) were cancer-related.
One of the study’s most surprising findings was the significant reduction in all-cause and cancer mortality among women who routinely eat small fish. Women who ate small fish 1-3 times per month, 1-2 times per week, or 3 times or more per week had a 0.68-, 0.72-, and 0.69-fold risk of all-cause mortality, and 0.72, 0.71 and 0.64 times greater. the risk of cancer mortality, compared to those who rarely eat small fish.
After controlling for factors that may influence mortality risk, such as participants’ age, smoking and alcohol consumption habits, BMI, and intake of various nutrients and foods, the researchers found that the women in the study who frequently ate small fish were less likely to die. from any cause. These findings suggest that incorporating small fish into their daily diet could be a simple but effective strategy to reduce mortality risk among women.
The risk of all-cause and cancer mortality in men showed a similar pattern to that in women, although it was not statistically significant. The reasons for the lack of significance in men remain unclear, but the researchers assume that the small number of male subjects or other factors not measured in the study, such as the portion size of small fish, may also matter. According to the researchers, the difference in the type of cancer that causes cancer mortality between the sexes may be related to a sex-specific association.
While acknowledging the need for further research in other populations and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved, Dr. Kasahara is enthusiastic about the findings. “Even if our findings concern only Japanese people, they should be important for other nationalities as well,” he said.
Indeed, previous studies have highlighted affordable small fish as a potentially important source of nutrients, especially in developing countries suffering from severe nutritional deficiencies. This study adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the health benefits of dietary practices that include the consumption of small fish.
As Dr. Kasahara explained, “Small fish are easy for everyone to eat and can be eaten whole, including the head, bones and organs. The nutrients and physiologically active substances typical of small fish could help maintain good health. The Inverse The relationship between consumption of small fish and mortality risk in women highlights the importance of these nutrient-rich foods in people’s diets.”
“The habit of eating small fish is usually limited to several coastal or maritime countries, such as Japan,” Associate Professor Tamura said. “However, we suspect that consuming small fish everywhere may prove to be a way to extend life expectancy. Further evidence is needed to clarify the potential role of small fish consumption in mortality risk.”
Consuming fish can prolong life
According to a study in the Journal of Internal Medicine, consumption of fish and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids was associated with lower risks of premature death.
In the study of 240,729 men and 180,580 women followed for 16 years, 54,230 men and 30,882 women died. Higher intake of fish and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids was significantly associated with lower total mortality.
Comparing the highest and lowest quintiles of fish consumption, men had a 9% lower total mortality, a 10% lower cardiovascular disease mortality, a 6% lower cancer mortality, a 6% lower respiratory disease mortality 20% lower and 37% lower chronic liver disease mortality, while women had 8% lower overall mortality, 10% lower cardiovascular disease mortality, and 38% lower Alzheimer’s disease mortality.
Fried fish consumption was not related to mortality in men, while it was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease in women. Intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids was associated with 15% and 18% lower cardiovascular disease mortality in men and women, respectively, comparing the highest and lowest quintiles.
Higher fish consumption may be associated with an increased risk of melanoma
Eating larger amounts of fish, including tuna and non-fried fish, appears to be associated with a greater risk of malignant melanoma, suggests a large study of U.S. adults published in Cancer Causes & Control.
Eunyoung Cho, the corresponding author, said: “Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the United States, and the lifetime risk of developing it is one in 38 for whites, one in 1,000 for blacks, and one in 167 for Hispanics. Although fish consumption has increased in the United States and Europe in recent decades, results from previous studies investigating associations between fish consumption and melanoma risk have been inconsistent. Our findings identified an association that requires further investigation.”
Researchers at Brown University, US, found that, compared to those whose average daily fish intake was 3.2 grams, the risk of malignant melanoma was 22% higher among those whose average daily intake was of 42.8 grams.
They also found that those whose average daily intake was 42.8 grams of fish had a 28 percent greater risk of developing abnormal cells only in the outer layer of the skin, known as stage 0 melanoma or melanoma in situ, compared to those whose average daily intake was 42.8 grams of fish. it was 3.2 grams of fish. A portion of fish corresponds to approximately 140 grams of cooked fish.
To examine the relationship between fish consumption and melanoma risk, the authors analyzed data collected from 491,367 adults recruited from across the United States for the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study between 1995 and 1996. I Participants, who had an average age of 62, reported how often they ate fried fish, non-fried fish, and tuna during the previous year, as well as portion sizes.
The researchers calculated the incidence of new melanomas that developed over a median period of 15 years using data obtained from cancer registries. They took into account sociodemographic factors, as well as participants’ BMI, physical activity levels, smoking history, daily alcohol, caffeine and calorie intake, family history of cancer and average UV radiation levels in their area . 5,034 participants (1.0%) developed malignant melanoma during the study period and 3,284 (0.7%) developed stage 0 melanoma.
The researchers found that higher consumption of non-fried fish and tuna was associated with an increased risk of malignant melanoma and stage 0 melanoma. Those whose average daily intake of tuna was 14.2 grams had a higher risk of 20% malignant melanoma and a 17% greater risk of stage 0 melanoma, compared to those whose average daily tuna intake was 0.3 grams.
An average consumption of 17.8 grams of non-fried fish per day was associated with an 18% greater risk of malignant melanoma and a 25% greater risk of stage 0 melanoma, compared to an average consumption of 0.3 grams. of non-fried fish per day.
The researchers identified no significant associations between fried fish consumption and the risk of malignant melanoma or stage 0 melanoma.
Eunyoung Cho said: “We hypothesize that our findings could be attributed to contaminants present in fish, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, arsenic and mercury.
Previous research has found that higher fish consumption 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 therefore further research is needed to confirm this relationship.”
The researchers caution that the observational nature of their study does not allow conclusions to be drawn about a causal relationship between fish consumption and melanoma risk. They also didn’t take into account some risk factors for melanoma in their analysis, such as the number of moles, hair color, a history of severe sunburn, and sun-related behaviors. Additionally, because average daily fish consumption was calculated at the start of the study, it may not be representative of participants’ diets.
The authors suggest that future research will be needed to investigate components of fish that might contribute to the observed association between fish consumption and melanoma risk and any biological mechanisms underlying this. They do not currently recommend any changes to fish consumption.
#Eating #small #fish #extend #life #expectancy
