The United States Department of Agriculture says twice a week, make seafood the protein on your plate. Increase the amount and variety of seafood consumed by choosing seafood in place of some meat and poultry.
First, emerging research from Louisiana State University found ceramides, fat compounds found in oysters, can restrict blood vessel growth and development of breast cancer cells in test tubes and in rats. This lab work is an exciting first step - more science, including human studies, will need to follow before dietary recommendations are made.
Second is a great example of a human study - a 22-year study of the relation between fish intake and colon cancer in over 20,000 men, just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study found that eating fish was not related to the number of colon cancer cases. But among men diagnosed with colon cancer, those consuming fish five or more times a week had a 48 percent lower risk of prostate cancer death than did men consuming fish less than once weekly. So fish intake may not prevent prostate cancer, but improve survival.
As experts explore the role between the healthy fats in fish and cancer prevention, eat up because "perhaps the best reason to eat...fish on a regular basis is that they are good sources of protein without the heavy dose of saturated fat and calories that usually come with it," according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. The group "recommends that people concerned with reducing cancer risk and managing their weight cover 2/3 (or more) of their plate with vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans and 1/3 (or less) animal protein. One of the best possible choices for that ‘1/3 or less' is fish."
I am a registered dietitian with the National Fisheries Institute, so fish is my nutrition forte. I earned my BA in Communication from Southwestern University, just outside of Austin, TX. During college, one of my very favorite evening outings was a leisurely trip to the grocery market. My passion for food was undeniable, so I combined both of my interests by earning my MS in Nutrition Communication from Tufts University in Boston, MA. As well as my Registered Dietitian (RD) credential through the University of Delaware.
Beyond reading scientific studies about docosahexaenoic acid and selenium, I love to entertain, travel, watch reality TV, grill outdoors, and go to spin class. I live in Kailua, HI on the island of Oahu where my husband serves as a US Marine Corps JAG.
People in Hawaii eat more fish and shellfish than average, but over 80 percent of typical Americans don't eat seafood at least twice per week. Doctors and dietitians like me say that's the goal, so BlogAboutSeafood is here to show you just what plenty of seafood looks like in an RD's real-life diet.
Photo by Marco Garcia
