People who eat plenty of fish may have a lower risk of colon cancer and, even more, rectal cancer, according to an analysis of 41 studies from around the world. The analysis, which appeared in the American Journal of Medicine, is the latest report that ties fish consumption to a number of possible health benefits.
Jie Liang of Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases in Xi'an, China, and colleagues combined the results from 41 studies published between 1990 and 2011 that measured fish consumption and tracked cancer diagnoses. This included research from the United States, Norway, Japan, Finland and elsewhere.
"Our findings from this meta-analysis suggest that fish consumption is inversely associated with colorectal cancer," Liang and his colleagues wrote.
Overall, regularly eating fish was tied to a 12 percent lower risk of developing or dying of colon or rectal cancer, the researchers found.
That was after taking into account study participants' age, alcohol and red meat intake, family history of cancer and other risk factors. "People who rarely eat fish may experience health benefits in a variety of areas - heart disease, reproductive and now colon cancer - by increasing their fish consumption somewhat," said Michael Gochfeld, a professor of environmental and occupational medicine at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
The protective effect tied to fish consumption was stronger for rectal cancer than colon cancer. People who ate the highest amounts of fish had a 21 percent lower risk of getting rectal cancer than those who ate the least. That compared to just a four percent lower risk of colon cancer - so small that it could have been due to chance.
The new study focused specifically on fresh fish, and the authors noted that they were unable to pinpoint what types of fish people ate or the manner in which fish was prepared in the prior studies. "Cooking temperatures might affect the risk of colorectal cancer," Liang said in an email to Reuters Health, citing recent evidence that suggests eating lots of meat and fish barbecued or grilled over high heat may actually be tied to an increased cancer risk.