Orange juice, grapefruit and all the citrus foods in our world are wonderful.
However, if you’re drinking or eating too much of it, you may want to slow down, as a new study has found that those who regularly consume orange juice or whole grapefruit have a higher risk of developing melanoma compared to those who avoid those foods, according to CBS News.
Melanoma is reportedly the least common but most deadly form of skin cancer. For the study, Dr. Walter Willett of Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues looked at more than 100,000 Americans, according to NBC News.
The study involving 40,000 men and 60,000 women had reportedly been going on for more than 25 years, with researchers asking questions about diet, habits and other personal matters. Overall, the risk of melanoma was low overall, with fewer than 2 percent of the people in the study getting melanoma in the 25-year period.
Despite the results of the recent study, it doesn’t mean we need to cut out citrus food from our diet completely.
“At this point in time it is not a good idea to avoid citrus fruits,” stated Willett.
Although citrus food shouldn’t be avoided altogether, it is reportedly possible for certain compounds in citrus to explain the association discovered in the study. Citrus foods reportedly contain particular “photoactive” chemicals that are known to make the skin more sensitive to the sun, according to senior researcher Dr. Abrar Qureshi, chair of dermatology at Brown University.
“You’ll see children get a sunburn in spots where a citrus popsicle dripped down the chin, for example,” explained Qureshi.
“The citrus can’t hurt you without the excessive sun exposure.”
These findings reportedly need to be replicated in other study groups before it’s confirmed that the citrus-melanoma link is real.
“I don’t think the general public should make any changes based on this study,” stated Marianne Berwick, a skin cancer researcher who wrote an editorial published with the study.
“You should still have a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet.”
