We are all very aware of the risks of cancer and also skin cancer. But what is startling about skin cancer is that we are led to believe that the only way to develop cancer of the skin is to be exposed to too much sun light during the summer months.

But there has been some research to suggest that the foods that we eat can also have an effect on the chances of us developing skin cancer. But on the other hand there is research to suggest that diet has no link to developing skin cancer at all. So what and who do we believe? Does diet really affect skin cancer or is this just nonsense?

As well as research into diets and cancer there are also studies to investigate whether our lifestyle can have an effect on us developing skin cancer.

The UV radiation from the sun is a great source for vitamin D. Now whilst this is an accepted fact, too much exposure and therefore too much exposure to the sun and therefore vitamin D is not going to help us. It would be like eating the liver of a polar bear. This is packed with vitamin A then eating would kill a human being. So what we need to do is to get vitamin D from another source and the source must be our diet. But remember, this is not a complete replacement. We are not saying that you should never go out in the sun, but you should be careful just how much exposure you are giving to your skin.

It is suggested that foods that are fatty do increase the prospect of gaining skin cancer. Some research has been performed on mice which were underfed. Such mice where then exposed to chemicals then promote skin cancer and they found that the underfed mice developed the condition compared to the mice that did not have their diet reduced at all.

This shows that having a healthy diet helped to create a protective hormone which did stop some of the mice developing cancer. But research still needs to continue as it is not known which gland produced that hormone.

Fish that is oily is very good for the skin and this is also suggested to be able to cut down the rate at which skin cancer can develop. What makes this happen is the omega 3 fatty acids which helps to repair any damaged DNA that could be caused by the cancer. Having fish three times a week is said to really reduce the chances of developing cancer and also burning in the sun. For instance eating fish for three months could reduce your chances of burning in the sun down to 33%, but you should still use protection when in the sun.

A healthy diet and good protection is the only real defence against any and all forms of cancer. And this also includes a good lifestyle. So you need to be eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and drinking lots of water. You should try to cut down on salty foods and sweets also.