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Researchers have uncovered exciting evidence that oily fish in your diet could help skin cancer prevention. The research carried out at Hope Hospital, Manchester has shown that the Omega 3 oils in fish which help poor concentration in children and protect against heart disease and dementia, protect the skin against the DNA damage that can cause skin cancer. Sun burn is a major factor in the development of this disease. Fair skinned people are particularly susceptible and sun burn increases the chances of developing skin cancer at a later date. The research consisted of a group of 42 healthy people being given a fish oil supplement that would be the equivalent of three portions of oily fish a week. After one month, they were less likely to burn and after three months, their resistance had risen to 33% less likely. A group of people who suffered from sun allergy doubled their defense after 6 months. These groups were measured against a third group who had been given olive oil which had no effect. The protection against skin cancer derived from the change in diet would be equivalent to a mild sun screen but would not protect against fierce sun. Many people only apply sun screen if they're officially sunbathing and then it can be patchy. Serious damage can happen in as little as 15 minutes - maybe walking to the shops or taking the dog out - doing a bit of gardening - how many of us would bother to put sun screen on for those tasks? In the UK, skin cancer rates have doubled every decade since 1940 and there are now around 100,000 new cases and 2000 deaths a year. These increases are reflected in pale skinned people all around the world. Much of the increase in the UK has been put down to more people taking holidays abroad and exposing themselves to excessive sun. However, there are many days in the UK when it would be advisable to protect ourselves but because the climate is mild overall, we don't bother. How many times have you gone out on a cold, damp morning to be greeted by blazing sunshine when you go out of the office at lunch time? Would you bother to put on sun screen? I know I wouldn't. Increasing oily fish in your diet is easy - even canned fish (apart from tuna) retains the omega 3s, so salmon, mackerel, sardines and the like can all be used straight from the can. On a personal level, as a youngster, I used to be very badly effected by the sun. I would develop itchy blotches all over my body at the first sign of summer - I have even burned and blistered in Scotland in April - that's how bad it was. Over the years, I've noticed that I have developed a tolerance to the sun, which I never imagined would happen. I don't come out in blotches at the first signs of summer any longer; I don't burn so quickly if I'm only exposed for a short period of time - I even go slightly brown now. I assumed it was just thickening of the skin, hardening up as I got older - but I'm still very freckly which indicates the patchy melanin of my make up and my sensitivity to fierce sun remains. This research makes me wonder if it's down to the increased amount of fish I now consume compared to when I was younger? I personally eat quite a lot of fish - my diet is mainly pasta, rice, chicken, fish and seafood. If I eat a sandwich, it tends to be canned salmon or tuna; I eat tinned mackerel, pilchards and sardines - either on toast or in sandwiches as lunches or snacks. Whatever it was I am grateful to think that my diet is helping with skin cancer prevention.
8/23/08
Depression and Oily Fish
A study in Norway has found a link between depression and oily fish. They have come to the conclusion that depression can be relieved or avoided by consuming Omega 3s found in oily fish. 22,000 people over the age of 40 were studied. The 9 per cent of them, who had a spoonful of cod liver oil a day, were 30 per cent less likely to become depressed. Omega 3s have long been known to boost children's brains, reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers and protect eyesight, now here's another health benefit. Oily fish contains Omega 3s and experts recommend 0.5g a day to have a positive effect on your health. You would need to eat four portions a week for this - it can be done by using tinned salmon or mackerel for sandwich fillings or in a salad and then having fresh salmon, tuna, mackerel etc twice a week. Your overall health would improve with the increased fish consumption. Tinned fish is relatively cheap, so if you're on a budget, then canned oily fish should be part of your overall eating.
Heart Disease and Fish
Coronary heart disease is a major killer in the world - and it's generally linked to diet and lifestyle - the good news in this of course, is that you can change your diet and lifestyle if you want to. It's often reported that a 'Mediterranean' style diet will lessen your chances of developing coronary heart disease, but what exactly is a Mediterranean style diet? Fish, oils, vegetables - a little meat - look at an Italian meat meal for instance - invariably, you use only a small amount of meat in a vegetable sauce. Typically, 1lb (450g) or less of meat will serve four people. If you were serving roast beef or a steak, how much meat would you have on your plate? A lot more than 4 oz I bet. There's much less heart disease in Mediterranean countries and it's not a coincidence. And as an aside here - look at Sophia Loren who was born in 1934 - she's over 70 years old - she attributes her looks and overall wellbeing to a daily pasta meal - hey, maybe we should all go that route! The British Heart Foundation recommends the following as a balanced diet, which will maintain or improve your overall health and combat heart disease.
Five portions of fruit and vegetables a day - sadly, potatoes don't count :-( BUT if you eat the skins, its fiber - see below.
Two portions of fish a week - one oily (if you've already had a heart attack or have angina or coronary heart disease, then it is recommended that you have two or three portions of oily fish a week)
White fish is low in calories and provides Vitamins A, D and B along with minerals calcium, iodine and fluorine. You should aim to eat it at least once a week. Canned tuna counts as white fish and it's very tasty and versatile. Choose white meat –
Chicken - cut back on the red meat - that may be really bad news for those of us who love a fillet steak, but chicken can be served in so many different ways and there are so many varieties of fish, that it's impossible to get bored with a diet that has little red meat in it. Go for low fat options where you can - fry in polyunsaturated oils -olive oil is great to use - the Mediterranean-anti-heart-disease style diet. Cut down on salt and drink alcohol sensibly.
Eat cereal - it's thought that a high fiber diet helps your body to get rid of the toxins and 'bad' cholesterol quicker - doesn't do so much damage 'lurking' around your intestines and clogging up your arteries. It lessens the risk of heart disease. The real big difference though, for most people, is in the amount of fish you should be eating - outside the Mediterranean; very few people eat fish on a regular basis. I'm not going to bore you rigid with great long explanations about cholesterol, fatty acids, high density and low density lipoproteins and their role in heart disease - if you want information about all that, then go to this website BHF My aim here is to briefly outline why you should and how you can, very easily, make a change - by incorporating fish in your diet and helping yourself and your family avoid heart disease.
How can oily fish make a difference to heart disease?
Oily fish provides Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. These reduce the 'stickiness' of your blood, which makes it less likely to clot and interfere with the rhythms of your heart. These fatty acids also protect your arteries and reduce the levels of triglycerides - both of these are associated with coronary heart disease. Your body can't make Omega-3s, so it has to come from your diet. Oily fish, mackerel, pilchards, fresh tuna (not canned as the oils are destroyed in the canning process) sardines, trout, salmon and herring are high in Omega-3s. Canned oily fish is good - how hard is it to make a canned salmon sandwich or serve canned sardines with a salad or add canned pilchards to your pizza? Canned mackerel is very tasty on toast - toast your bread - mash the canned mackerel and spread over the toast, arrange sliced tomato over it - season with some black pepper and heat it under the grill - it's making me hungry just writing about it! Do you see how easy it could be? Small amounts of Omega-3s are in some nuts and oils - rapeseed, walnut or Soya oil, dark green leafy vegetables, some cereals and nuts - walnuts, pecans, peanuts and almonds, Soya beans and tofu.
You can of course take fish oil supplements, if you are taking WARFARIN, please consult your doctor before taking supplements. Omega-3s reduce the stickiness of your blood and you're taking drugs that already thin your blood. Omega-3s in your diet won't hurt, but a supplement may be too much.
How about children?
You owe it to your children to get them used to a healthy choice of eating. Not to put too fine a point on it, our children are becoming 'couch potatoes' for the most part. The world doesn't seem as safe as it was, they have games machines, 24 hour television and we don't really want to let them out - they don't roam free like we used to - we take them everywhere in cars - they don't get exercise. A friend of mine has two children (boys of 10 and 14 when diagnosed) who have high blood pressure - one of the symptoms of heart disease - and are taking medication for it - how scary is that? And whose fault is it? Given the family medical history, it was inevitable - but so young? If you have a family history of coronary heart disease, then it's important that you start your children right. Recently, there's been a lot in the press about Omega-3, 6 and 9 and their role in developing brain 'connections' in children. As a child, I was given cod liver oil every day - as were most of my friends. We hated it and so haven't given it to our children. It looks like we made a big mistake. Is it just coincidence that dyslexia, ADHD and other similar disorders are becoming more and more common? I don't think so and I have started my 15 year old son (who goes to a specialist dyslexia school) on a course of fish oils - I wish I'd had the courage to do this earlier - but I didn't - so... His whole demeanor has begun to improve - and that's given the fact that we're going through the adolescent stage - it really can't be coincidence - the proof is staring me straight in the face.
What about me as an adult?
It's never too late to start to improve your diet - really. Jim, a friend of mine in his 50s, suffered dreadfully from arthritis and all sorts of other complaints - diabetes, high blood pressure, angina - symptoms of coronary heart disease and the first steps to a heart attack. I saw him the other day and commented on how well he was looking - moving freely and easily and generally well - he looked years younger - absolutely brilliant. I asked him if he'd changed his medication. Do you know what he said - No, I've just tidied up my diet. Eating more fish and vegetables and I've lost weight and feel great - hardly any aches and pains and I'm cutting down on my drugs. He didn't need them, not cutting back because he wanted to, but he didn't need them in the same way. His health has improved tremendously - his doctor's delighted with him. There was a huge difference in him - and it's just taken 6 months - not a slimming diet, just 'tidied up' his diet. More fish, more vegetables - it's really not hard.
What now?
Like my friend Jim, tidy up your diet - more fish - 5 portions of veg - encourage your children to do the same. I'm not saying you can never have another burger - they're only about 4 oz (100g) each anyway - the Italian meat portion - but at home, use fish or chicken and vegetables. There are loads of ideas here for cooking fish - if you're just starting out, have a look at the Canned Fish section - it's easy to have a salad or sandwich, but there's loads of other ideas. Have a look round and experiment - your heart will thank you for it - and your children should outlive you - we can virtually wipe out coronary heart disease if we choose to - it's a diet and lifestyle choice for the most part. Many of us don't need to expose ourselves to the risk of coronary heart disease - we choose to by the way we eat and live.
Five portions of fruit and vegetables a day - sadly, potatoes don't count :-( BUT if you eat the skins, its fiber - see below.
Two portions of fish a week - one oily (if you've already had a heart attack or have angina or coronary heart disease, then it is recommended that you have two or three portions of oily fish a week)
White fish is low in calories and provides Vitamins A, D and B along with minerals calcium, iodine and fluorine. You should aim to eat it at least once a week. Canned tuna counts as white fish and it's very tasty and versatile. Choose white meat –
Chicken - cut back on the red meat - that may be really bad news for those of us who love a fillet steak, but chicken can be served in so many different ways and there are so many varieties of fish, that it's impossible to get bored with a diet that has little red meat in it. Go for low fat options where you can - fry in polyunsaturated oils -olive oil is great to use - the Mediterranean-anti-heart-disease style diet. Cut down on salt and drink alcohol sensibly.
Eat cereal - it's thought that a high fiber diet helps your body to get rid of the toxins and 'bad' cholesterol quicker - doesn't do so much damage 'lurking' around your intestines and clogging up your arteries. It lessens the risk of heart disease. The real big difference though, for most people, is in the amount of fish you should be eating - outside the Mediterranean; very few people eat fish on a regular basis. I'm not going to bore you rigid with great long explanations about cholesterol, fatty acids, high density and low density lipoproteins and their role in heart disease - if you want information about all that, then go to this website BHF My aim here is to briefly outline why you should and how you can, very easily, make a change - by incorporating fish in your diet and helping yourself and your family avoid heart disease.
How can oily fish make a difference to heart disease?
Oily fish provides Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. These reduce the 'stickiness' of your blood, which makes it less likely to clot and interfere with the rhythms of your heart. These fatty acids also protect your arteries and reduce the levels of triglycerides - both of these are associated with coronary heart disease. Your body can't make Omega-3s, so it has to come from your diet. Oily fish, mackerel, pilchards, fresh tuna (not canned as the oils are destroyed in the canning process) sardines, trout, salmon and herring are high in Omega-3s. Canned oily fish is good - how hard is it to make a canned salmon sandwich or serve canned sardines with a salad or add canned pilchards to your pizza? Canned mackerel is very tasty on toast - toast your bread - mash the canned mackerel and spread over the toast, arrange sliced tomato over it - season with some black pepper and heat it under the grill - it's making me hungry just writing about it! Do you see how easy it could be? Small amounts of Omega-3s are in some nuts and oils - rapeseed, walnut or Soya oil, dark green leafy vegetables, some cereals and nuts - walnuts, pecans, peanuts and almonds, Soya beans and tofu.
You can of course take fish oil supplements, if you are taking WARFARIN, please consult your doctor before taking supplements. Omega-3s reduce the stickiness of your blood and you're taking drugs that already thin your blood. Omega-3s in your diet won't hurt, but a supplement may be too much.
How about children?
You owe it to your children to get them used to a healthy choice of eating. Not to put too fine a point on it, our children are becoming 'couch potatoes' for the most part. The world doesn't seem as safe as it was, they have games machines, 24 hour television and we don't really want to let them out - they don't roam free like we used to - we take them everywhere in cars - they don't get exercise. A friend of mine has two children (boys of 10 and 14 when diagnosed) who have high blood pressure - one of the symptoms of heart disease - and are taking medication for it - how scary is that? And whose fault is it? Given the family medical history, it was inevitable - but so young? If you have a family history of coronary heart disease, then it's important that you start your children right. Recently, there's been a lot in the press about Omega-3, 6 and 9 and their role in developing brain 'connections' in children. As a child, I was given cod liver oil every day - as were most of my friends. We hated it and so haven't given it to our children. It looks like we made a big mistake. Is it just coincidence that dyslexia, ADHD and other similar disorders are becoming more and more common? I don't think so and I have started my 15 year old son (who goes to a specialist dyslexia school) on a course of fish oils - I wish I'd had the courage to do this earlier - but I didn't - so... His whole demeanor has begun to improve - and that's given the fact that we're going through the adolescent stage - it really can't be coincidence - the proof is staring me straight in the face.
What about me as an adult?
It's never too late to start to improve your diet - really. Jim, a friend of mine in his 50s, suffered dreadfully from arthritis and all sorts of other complaints - diabetes, high blood pressure, angina - symptoms of coronary heart disease and the first steps to a heart attack. I saw him the other day and commented on how well he was looking - moving freely and easily and generally well - he looked years younger - absolutely brilliant. I asked him if he'd changed his medication. Do you know what he said - No, I've just tidied up my diet. Eating more fish and vegetables and I've lost weight and feel great - hardly any aches and pains and I'm cutting down on my drugs. He didn't need them, not cutting back because he wanted to, but he didn't need them in the same way. His health has improved tremendously - his doctor's delighted with him. There was a huge difference in him - and it's just taken 6 months - not a slimming diet, just 'tidied up' his diet. More fish, more vegetables - it's really not hard.
What now?
Like my friend Jim, tidy up your diet - more fish - 5 portions of veg - encourage your children to do the same. I'm not saying you can never have another burger - they're only about 4 oz (100g) each anyway - the Italian meat portion - but at home, use fish or chicken and vegetables. There are loads of ideas here for cooking fish - if you're just starting out, have a look at the Canned Fish section - it's easy to have a salad or sandwich, but there's loads of other ideas. Have a look round and experiment - your heart will thank you for it - and your children should outlive you - we can virtually wipe out coronary heart disease if we choose to - it's a diet and lifestyle choice for the most part. Many of us don't need to expose ourselves to the risk of coronary heart disease - we choose to by the way we eat and live.
Bowel Cancer Prevention
How Fish Can Prevent Bowel Cancer
Researchers at St George’s Hospital in London have discovered that the Omega 3s found in oily fish could help prevent cancer of the bowel. The participants had all suffered from polyps in the bowel, which can turn cancerous if not removed, so these people were prone to developing cancer. Our bodies are continuously renewing cells – they grow and die. In a normal person, one cell dies and is replaced by another cell the same, but it’s been discovered that in a patient who has polyps, their cells are produced at a faster rate than they die. This results in too many cells and so a polyp is formed where cells grow on top of each other. 30 patients who had had bowel polyps took part in a 3 month trial. Samples of the colon lining were taken and examined at the start. They were randomly given Omega 3 oil capsules or no treatment and then at the end of the trial, further samples were taken. In the group who had taken the oil, it was found that their cell generation rate had fallen by nearly 25% - so they were producing a lot less cells in their bowel. The rate at which cells had died had increased by over 100% - which also meant there were a lot less cells. The third finding was that the levels of the fatty acids in the cells were doubled. This research indicates that the Omega 3s play a part in cell regeneration and maybe over a period of time, they could return these patients to a normal rate of cell reproduction, thereby eliminating the risk of polyps forming and preventing that specific type of bowel cancer developing. Two further trials are being planned. The first is to measure the levels of the fatty acids and cell production and death after 6 months, which will help to confirm the trial’s results and reach a conclusion as to the best dosage, The second one is even more exciting. This will be on patients who have familial adenomatous polyposis. This is a condition where people are genetically likely to form polyps which would in turn make them more likely to develop bowel cancer. If these trials prove their original findings, it could mean that one more cancer that threatens us could be prevented. You are what you eat is an old saying and all research is pointing to the benefits of eating oily fish.
Source: find-a-seafoodrecipe.com (Liz Anderson)
Researchers at St George’s Hospital in London have discovered that the Omega 3s found in oily fish could help prevent cancer of the bowel. The participants had all suffered from polyps in the bowel, which can turn cancerous if not removed, so these people were prone to developing cancer. Our bodies are continuously renewing cells – they grow and die. In a normal person, one cell dies and is replaced by another cell the same, but it’s been discovered that in a patient who has polyps, their cells are produced at a faster rate than they die. This results in too many cells and so a polyp is formed where cells grow on top of each other. 30 patients who had had bowel polyps took part in a 3 month trial. Samples of the colon lining were taken and examined at the start. They were randomly given Omega 3 oil capsules or no treatment and then at the end of the trial, further samples were taken. In the group who had taken the oil, it was found that their cell generation rate had fallen by nearly 25% - so they were producing a lot less cells in their bowel. The rate at which cells had died had increased by over 100% - which also meant there were a lot less cells. The third finding was that the levels of the fatty acids in the cells were doubled. This research indicates that the Omega 3s play a part in cell regeneration and maybe over a period of time, they could return these patients to a normal rate of cell reproduction, thereby eliminating the risk of polyps forming and preventing that specific type of bowel cancer developing. Two further trials are being planned. The first is to measure the levels of the fatty acids and cell production and death after 6 months, which will help to confirm the trial’s results and reach a conclusion as to the best dosage, The second one is even more exciting. This will be on patients who have familial adenomatous polyposis. This is a condition where people are genetically likely to form polyps which would in turn make them more likely to develop bowel cancer. If these trials prove their original findings, it could mean that one more cancer that threatens us could be prevented. You are what you eat is an old saying and all research is pointing to the benefits of eating oily fish.
Source: find-a-seafoodrecipe.com (Liz Anderson)
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