Hi All,

I thought you might find this recent article interesting.

CAN WHAT YOU EAT REALLY AFFECT SKIN CANCER

We are all aware that our diet affects our skin, but recent research has indicated that your diet could also affect skin cancer.

It is thought that fatty diets increase our risk of developing skin cancer. Studies have been conducted, where scientists have underfed a group of mice and exposed them to chemicals which promote skin cancer. They have found that fewer underfed mice developed the condition compared to the other group of mice who did not have their calorie intake reduced.

This has revealed calorie restriction, somehow helped to promote a protective hormone, which stopped some of the mice developing skin cancer. Conversely, these studies have not shown fully which gland produced the hormone, so at this stage these tests are currently incomplete.  

So what foods should we be consuming?

Oily fish is extremely beneficial for the skin and fish such as salmon can really help to cut chances of skin cancer down. This is because the omega three fatty acids help to repair DNA damage caused by the cancer. Eating oily fish three times a week has also been proven to reduce a person’s risk of burning in the sun.

Nevertheless, whilst this may help to cut down the risk, sun protection is still the most effective form of skin cancer prevention and should still be worn.

A healthy diet can be your best defense against all forms of cancer. Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and cut back on salty and sugary foods.  

Consult your doctor for more advice.

Hope you found this as interesting as I did.

Please email me at ian.katz@southernsun.com.au with any suggestions about how I can improve this communication.  

Regards Dr Ian Katz, Director.