SUSHI MAY CUT SMOKERS' LUNG CANCER RISK - STUDY |
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| Updated 7:41 AM ET May 3, 2001 By Patricia Reaney LONDON (Reuters) - Eating large amounts of sushi, the Japanese fish delicacy now popular in many western countries, may help smokers reduce the risk of developing lung cancer, scientists said Thursday. Scientists at the Aichi Cancer Center in Nagoya, Japan, believe sushi and fresh fish are the reason lung cancer rates in Japan are markedly lower than those in the United States and Britain, even though the Japanese smoke as much as Westerners. "Japanese people love their fresh fish, particularly sushi," Professor Toshiro Takezaki said in a statement. "We think that is why, even though the Japanese smoke as much as people in the UK, their rate of lung cancer is only two-thirds as high." ... People who ate the most sushi and fresh fish had half the risk of developing the rare tumor than people who ate the least fresh fish. Smoking is a leading cause of the disease. Researchers estimate that one billion people will die of lung cancer in the 21st century if current smoking trends continue. |
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