Research Underway Finds Fats in Oysters May Repress Cancer Growth

October 13, 2008 Washington, DC Louisiana State University (LSU) research released today finds ceramides, fat compounds found in oysters, appear to arrest breast cancer cells grown in lab tests.

The LSU work is an example of how seriously researchers take the role the foods we eat play in cancer prevention, said Jennifer Wilmes, a registered dietitian with the National Fisheries Institute. It was just this summer that a Columbia University study concluded eating seafood may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

According to Dr. Jack Losso of LSUs Department of Food Science, who led the research, ceramides are also currently being used in clinical trials to help speed the healing process for patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Weve known for a long time that oysters are a food rich in iron and good fats. Its only now that we are beginning to see their full potential to fight disease, said Tom Kehoe president of K & B Seafood, a major oyster distributor in East Northport, New York. As someone whos married to a breast cancer survivor, this research has important meaning and exciting promise.

The release of the emerging research comes amid National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States.

For more than 60 years, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and its members have provided American families with the variety of sustainable seafood essential to a healthy diet. For more information visit: www.AboutSeafood.com.

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Contact Information

Gavin Gibbons
(703) 752-8891
ggibbons@NFI.org