Current location:entertainment >>
Scientists uncover missing link between junk food and cancer
entertainment6758People have gathered around
IntroductionScientists believe they have uncovered a missing link between how eating junk food increases the ris ...
Scientists believe they have uncovered a missing link between how eating junk food increases the risk of cancer.
A study in Singapore looked at the effect of methylglyoxal, a compound released when the body breaks down sugary and fatty foods, on a gene that helps fight off tumors.
In a first, the academics found that methylglyoxal was able to temporarily shut off the BRCA2 gene's ability to protect against cancer forming and growing.
Doctors have known for decades that eating junk food is linked to a much higher risk of cancer, even if the person is not obese, but the exact mechanism is still being understood.
It could, at least in part, explain why cancers among young, ostensibly healthy Americans are becoming so prevalent, particularly tumors in the colon.
Researchers at the National University of Singapore found that methylglyoxal, which the body produces more of when eating junk food, could inhibit the function of cancer-protecting genes like BRCA2
The above graph shows the change in cancer case rates around the world
The team also noted that the study contradicts a longstanding theory called the knudson's 'two-hit' paradigm, which said that genes like BRCA2 must be completely inactive in the body to raise cancer risk.
These genes are meant to help protect the body against cancer, though patients who inherit faulty copies from their parents have been shown to have an increased risk of certain cancers, such as breast and pancreatic.
Dr Ashok Venkitaraman, study author and director of the National University of Singapore's Centre for Cancer Research, told Medical News Today: '[M]ethylglyoxal triggers the destruction of BRCA2 protein, reducing its levels in cells.'
'This effect is temporary, but can last long enough to inhibit the tumor-preventing function of BRCA2.'
Is THIS what's causing mystery rise in colon cancers among young people? Study points to bacteria in the gut linked to processed food and lack of fiber
Scientists say they may be one step closer to understanding what's driving a mystery rise in colon cancer in young people.
AdvertisementHe noted that repeated exposure, such as through eating processed foods and red meat, among others, would increase the amount of damage to genes like BRCA2.'
The team looked at the effect of methylglyoxal on cells from people who had inherited a faulty copy of BRCA2 and were therefore more likely to develop cancer.
They found that methylglyoxal exposure disabled tumor suppression.
'It is well documented that some individuals are at a high risk of developing breast, ovarian, pancreatic or other cancers because they inherit a faulty copy of the cancer-preventing gene — BRCA2 — from their parents,' Dr Venkitaraman said.
'Our recent findings show that cells from such individuals are particularly sensitive to the effects of methylglyoxal, which is a chemical produced when our cells break down glucose to create energy.
'We find that methylglyoxal inhibits the tumor-preventing function of BRCA2, eventually causing faults in our DNA that are early warning signs of cancer development.'
Additionally, Dr Venkitaraman noted that high levels of methylglyoxal are common in people with diabetes and prediabetes.
'Our latest findings show that methylglyoxal can temporarily inactivate such cancer-preventing genes, suggesting that repeated episodes of poor diet or uncontrolled diabetes can "add up" over time to increase cancer risk,' he said.
However, the team cautioned that since the study was carried out in cells rather than people, more research is needed on the topic.
The research adds to a long list of studies suggesting that diet could have an impact on cancer risk, particularly colorectal cancer.
Research from the Cleveland Clinic, for example, found that people under 50 who ate diets rich in red meat and sugar had lower levels of the compound citrate, which is created when the body converts food into energy and has been shown to inhibit tumor growth.
The new study was published last week in the journal Cell.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Earth Enigma news portal”。http://uganda.bahnsport.org/html-19b199868.html
Related articles
Amir Khan's £11.5m luxury wedding venue finally hosts its first marriage: Bride arrives on horse
entertainmentAmir Khan's £11.5million luxury wedding venue has finally hosted its first marriage after a series o ...
Read moreElection 2024: Biden and Trump bypassed the Commission on Presidential Debates
entertainmentPHOENIX (AP) — The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has planned presidential fa ...
Read moreShooting injures 2 at Missouri high school graduation ceremony
entertainmentCAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — Two people were injured when gunfire broke out during a high school gradu ...
Read more
Popular articles
- Here comes the char
- Ben Whishaw lights up the Croisette as he joins his co
- French sports minister calls for sanctions after Monaco player tapes over anti
- Company wins court ruling to continue development of Michigan factory serving EV industry
- Amir Khan's £11.5m luxury wedding venue finally hosts its first marriage: Bride arrives on horse
- Elon Musk gets approval from FDA to implant his Neuralink brain chip into a second patient
Latest articles
Amir Khan's £11.5m luxury wedding venue finally hosts its first marriage: Bride arrives on horse
Amir Khan's £11.5m luxury wedding venue finally hosts its first marriage: Bride arrives on horse
Kristin Cavallari, 37, ignores critics of her age
Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 26
Inquiry slams UK authorities for failures that killed thousands in infected blood scandal
Why US Catholics are planning pilgrimages in communities across the nation
LINKS
- China condemns attack on Iranian embassy in Syria
- Company believes it found sunken barge in Ohio River near Pittsburgh, one of 26 that got loose
- China, Nauru gathering momentum for growth of ties
- China, EU agree to promote people
- Two killed in shooting at Ferguson, Missouri, gas station; officer fired shots
- US Olympic committee strikes sponsorship deal to help athletes get degrees after they retire
- IMF: Outlook for world economy is brighter, though still modest by historical standards
- Microsoft invests $1.5 billion in AI firm G42, overseen by UAE's national security adviser
- Charlize Theron brings along adorable daughter August, 7, to sit front row at Dior's pre
- Xi's article on cultural heritage, fine traditional Chinese culture to be published