Oranges, Grapefruits Linked to Skin Cancer in New Melanoma Study

A surprising new study concluded that people who regularly consume grapefruit or orange juice were found to have increased risk of melanoma.

The study claims a 36 percent higher risk of melanoma, the most aggressive type of skin cancer. According to NBC News, the presence of two chemicals, furocoumarins and psoralen, in orange and grapefruit cause melanoma cells to proliferate when the skin interacts with sunlight.

The study involved over a 100,000 people who were part of the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and Nurses' Health Study between 1984 and 2010. Researchers found that the though the overall risk of melanoma was small, those who consumed orange juice and grapefruit were found to be at a higher risk. No such association was found with other fruits or vegetables.

"Citrus consumption was associated with an increased risk of malignant melanoma in two cohorts of women and men. Nevertheless, further investigation is needed to confirm our findings and explore related health implications," researchers wrote in the paper published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Though the sample size was large and data obtained prospectively, researchers said cutting down on citrus fruit consumption cannot be advised.

"While our findings suggest that people who consume large amounts of whole grapefruit or orange juice may be at increased risk for melanoma, we need much more research before any concrete recommendations can be made. At this time, we don't advise that people cut back on citrus -- but those who consume a lot of grapefruit and/or orange juice should be particularly careful to avoid prolonged sun exposure," said lead study author Shaowei Wu.