Dark fish have long been praised for their omega-3 fatty acid content, leading many to consume salmon, mackerel and sardines in the hopes of preventing disease. But according to Futurity.org, a new study from the University of Southern California shows that some fish may lose their health benefits depending on how they are prepared.
The study, published in the journal Cancer Causes & Control, shows that fish cooked in high temperatures not only don’t protect against prostate cancer, but may actually raise a man’s risk of developing the disease.
“One would expect eating dark and oily fish would be beneficial in preventing prostate cancer, but that protective effect seems lost if fish are cooked with high-temperature methods, in particular pan-frying,” said Mariana Stern, a professor of preventive medicine at the university. “Similarly, diets high in lean, white fish seem to mostly increase risk when the fish in pan-friend, and appear to offer no protective benefit when cooked using other methods.”
For the study, researchers examined the diets of nearly 3,000 men in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas. Men who ate two or more servings of fish prepared in high temperatures per week were twice as likely to develop prostate cancer as men who never ate fish. More than 60 percent had advanced prostate cancer, Futurity.org said.
