Component in oysters and sake may help prevent cancer: researchers

Sunday 16th August, 04:23 AM JST

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14 Comments

bcbrownboy at 07:07 AM JST - 16th August

Likely story, but I'll try it for a few years just to make sure.
bcbrownboy at 07:12 AM JST - 16th August

It appears that succinic acid is present in most fruits and vegetables making this article moot?
supercub at 07:42 AM JST - 16th August

I believe oysters are a major produce of Hiroshima.
outofmydepth at 08:23 AM JST - 16th August

one more reason for mr. sarariman not to come home at night. gotta eat and drink more to cure cancer.
Farmboy at 08:27 AM JST - 16th August

I read elsewhere that there were a higher incidence of stomach cancer among the young. Grandpa and grandma need to teach the young'uns to drink, I guess.
timeon at 10:31 AM JST - 16th August

and the study was published in what exactly peer-reviewed journal?
bobbafett at 10:37 AM JST - 16th August

of course, and alcohol consumption equals loss of testosterone and a seafood diet soaked in soy sauce will provide some female hormones. throw some tofu in there for major brain shrinkage.
thepro at 10:52 AM JST - 16th August

Japanese sake, natto, rice, etc are the healthiest things in the world, Japanese researchers have found. Korean researchers are disputing the evidence.
kirakira25 at 06:39 PM JST - 16th August

If this substance is found in sake, and outside Japan sake is not such a popular drink, why does Japan have one of the highest rates of stomach and colon cancer in the world?
presto345 at 06:40 PM JST - 16th August

Succinic Acid is not only found in oysters and sake. For the information here to be useful we need to know in what quantities it is found and how that compares to the quantities in other foods and how much and in which form we should ingress to be beneficial. I'd also like to know what the effect on the human body is of synthesized succinic acid, widely used as a food additive.
smithinjapan at 09:29 PM JST - 16th August

thepro: "Japanese sake, natto, rice, etc are the healthiest things in the world"

Wrong. Japanese white polished rice is among one of the LEAST healthiest things your body can ingest, simply by virtue of the fact that it cannot be properly metabolized. Brown rice? Yes, quite healthy, but no more so than good Basmati. Yes yes... natto was claimed by NHK to be very healthy, and remember how big a scandal it was when revealed the research was falsified? I'm not saying it's NOT healthy, but it's not 'the healthiest thing in the world', either. And let's just stop right there about the sake, eh?

Clearly this is an example of a study carried out based on local specialties (grilled oyster, Japanese sake), and to promote said foods. You can bet for the next little while you'll see these sell off the shelves to all the suckers, and the salarymen demanding to stay out to pickle their livers longer 'to prevent cancer'. I'm willing to bet if you see who sponsored the research (ie. the money), it'll be an organization headed by or that works on behalf of oyster farmers.

As has been said, these are not the only foods with succinic acid, so this whole paper is foolish. Now, if they bothered to show how it COMPARES to other foods with succinic acid, and how these are higher or what have you, it becomes a little more than simple product pushing.
nigelboy at 09:44 PM JST - 16th August

Japanese sake, natto, rice, etc are the healthiest things in the world, Japanese researchers have found. Korean researchers are disputing the evidence.

Nope. Koreans will claim Japanese sake, natto, rice and etc. were originated in Korea. That's how it always works.
UnagiDon at 10:31 PM JST - 16th August

Perhaps the researchers can find some food ingredient to limit the prevalence of conspiracy theories and idiocy on forums like JT? The fact that people cannot accept that research which may fight cancer is a good thing (it is, right?) and feel compelled to invoke conspiracy theories, reflects poorly on those making the comments.
bdiego at 02:29 AM JST - 17th August

I know, everything's a conspiracy here at JT comments, devolving eventually into "My country is better than Japan" arguments. The research is on succinic acid in foods, so what really needs to happen are follow up studies. The lack of further info has everything to do with this being a summarized article. It's not a conspiracy.