A common cooking ingredient used by millions of us every day could increase the risk of breast cancer, according to a new study from a team of experts
A leading medic has issued a warning about the potential cancer risks associated with a regularly used cooking component often found in seed oils called linoleic acid.
This commonplace fat is thought to trigger reactions that can expand cancer cells and even accelerate their multiplication. Everyday oils which are staple in numerous households might therefore be escalating the chances of breast cancer, a group of experts undertaking the research has warned. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
Oncologist Professor Justin Stebbing has advised cautious use of these oils to sidestep future health issues.
The risk to people from using these oils was revealed by findings from Weill Cornell Medicine.
Dr John Blenis, the principal investigator of the study at Weill Cornell Medicine and an authority on cancer, said : “We now know linoleic acid feeds cancer cell growth in a very specific way.”
He went on: “This discovery sheds light on how to define which patients might benefit from specific nutritional recommendations,” reports the Mirror.
The study report indicates: “[This is] the most abundant unsaturated fat in Western-style diets and is derived from animal products and processed foods containing vegetable oils, such as safflower oil.
“Various retrospective and forward-looking studies examining the relationship between LA consumption and breast cancer have been conducted, yet their findings are frequently in conflict.
“Accumulating evidence suggests that dietary patterns may influence cancer outcomes, and there is substantial clinical interest in understanding the molecular mechanisms behind these associations to better inform nutritional recommendations.
“Our findings not only provide a mechanistic explanation for the heterogeneous responses of distinct breast cancer subtypes to dietary fats but also reveal an important perspective on how interactions between diet and breast cancer need to be studied.
“Future nutritional studies might consider stratifying patients on the basis of FABP5 expression and triple-negative status.”
Last year, a study funded by the US government indicated that commonly used cooking oils could be contributing to a rise in colon cancer among young people.
The research, which examined 80 patients with colon cancer, discovered that they had elevated levels of bioactive lipids produced from the breakdown of seed oils.
Nick Mole, from Pan UK, said: “Given the growing body of evidence linking PFAS to serious diseases such as cancer, it is deeply worrying that UK consumers are being left with no choice but to ingest these chemicals, some of which may remain in their bodies long into the future.”
