It’s well known that fish is a nutritious food, thanks to its omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, and vitamins, and eating entire small fish is even more beneficial than eating filets of larger ones, according to the study. The women who reported eating small fish even just one to three times a month were less likely to die of cancer—and of all other causes—than were those women who rarely ate small fish. In the male subjects, the reduced risk of all-cause and cancer mortality was similar to the risk among women, but it did not reach statistical significance, the researchers reported.
They suggested this may have been due to the smaller number of male subjects (34,555, as opposed to 46,247 women), or other factors not measured in the study, such as fish portion sizes and sex-specific cancer types. When eaten whole, they explained, the bones and organs in small fish make them “a good source of micronutrients such as ca [calcium], vitamins and fatty acids.” Lead researcher Ms.
Kasahara noted in the university press release, “I was interested in this topic because I have had the habit of eating small fish since childhood. I now feed my children these.” However, she added, all cultures can benefit from her research.
“While our findings were only among Japanese people, they should also be important for other nationalities,” she said..
