Cancer: Fatty Acid Found In Palm Oil May Increase Risk Of Skin And Mouth Cancer

 A study has found that when palmitic acid was supplemented into the diet of mice, mouth and skin cancers were more likely to spread. Palmitic acid, or palm oil has remained a controversial substance however this latest study shines a light on how it could be one of the main causes for the increase in cancer diagnosis seen of late.  

By Monica Lozano On Nov 11, 2021

Metastasis – or the spread – of cancer remains the main cause of death in cancer patients and the vast majority of people with metastatic cancer can only be treated, but not cured.

As most are aware, food can have a major impact on cancer with fatty acids being the building blocks of fat in the body.

Unfortunately, metastasis is often promoted by fatty acids in one’s diet further warning what you put in your mouth can have a devastating health impact.

Newly published findings, led by researchers at IRB Barcelona, Spain, reveal that one such fatty acid commonly found in palm oil, called palmitic acid, promotes metastasis in oral carcinomas and melanoma skin cancer in mice.

“There is something very special about palmitic acid that makes it an extremely potent promoter of metastasis,” said Prof Salvador Aznar-Benitah, of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona.

“I think it is too early to determine which type of diet could be consumed by patients with metastatic cancer that would slow down the metastatic process.”

The study suggested that exposure to palmitic acid caused changes to the function of genes in cancer cells that allowed them to sense fatty acids and consume them more efficiently.

The presence of palmitic acid also appeared to send cancer cells into a “regenerative state” allowing them to form signalling networks beyond the tumour, which is known to be a crucial step towards spreading.

Prof Greg Hannon, director of the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, said: “This is a rigorous and comprehensive study that suggests that exposure to a major constituent of palm oil durably changes the behaviour of cancer cells, making them more prone to progress from local to potentially lethal metastatic disease.

“Given the prevalence of palm oil as an ingredient in processed foods, this study provides strong motivation for further study on how dietary choices influence the risk of tumour progression.”

Helen Rippon, chief executive at Worldwide Cancer Research, added: “This discovery is a huge breakthrough in our understanding of how diet and cancer are linked and, perhaps more importantly, how we can use this knowledge to start new cures for cancer.

Metastasis is estimated to be responsible for 90 percent of all cancer deaths – that’s around nine million deaths a year globally.

“Learning more about what makes cancer spread and – importantly – how to stop it is the way forward to reduce these numbers.”

https://vervetimes.com/cancer-fatty-acid-found-in-palm-oil-may-increase-risk-of-skin-and-mouth-cancer-2/

Fatty acid found in palm oil linked to spread of cancer

Study on mice found palmitic acid promoted metastasis in mouth and skin cancers

Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

Wed 10 Nov 2021 17.31 GMT

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/nov/10/fatty-acid-found-in-palm-oil-linked-to-spread-of-cancer

 Scientists have shown how a fatty acid found in palm oil can encourage the spread of cancer, in work that could pave the way for new treatments.

The study, on mice, found that palmitic acid promoted metastasis in mouth and skin cancers. In future, this process could be targeted with drugs or carefully designed eating plans, but the team behind the work cautioned against patients putting themselves on diets in the absence of clinical trials.

“There is something very special about palmitic acid that makes it an extremely potent promoter of metastasis,” said Prof Salvador Aznar-Benitah, of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona. “I think it is too early to determine which type of diet could be consumed by patients with metastatic cancer that would slow down the metastatic process.”

Chocolate spread – The team behind the work cautioned against patients putting themselves on diets in the absence of clinical trials. Photograph: MarianVejcik/Getty Images/iStockphoto

The study adds to emerging evidence that diet can be used to enhance existing cancer treatments because certain nutrients are disproportionately relied on by tumour cells, or are required at critical stages such as metastasis.

The study built on previous work by the same team showing that, within a tumour, just a small subset of cells have the capacity to spread by travelling out of the tumour, reaching other organs and colonising them. These specialised cancer cells appeared to rely particularly heavily on fatty acids and the latest work narrowed this down to palmitic acid, which is found in palm oil – but also in a wide variety of foods such as butter and olive oil.

The study, published in Nature, found that when palmitic acid was supplemented into the diet of mice, mouth and skin cancers were more likely to spread. Other fatty acids called oleic acid and linoleic acid – omega-9 and omega-6 fats found in foods such as olive oil and flaxseeds – did not show the same effect. Neither of the fatty acids tested increased the risk of developing cancer in the first place.

The study suggested that exposure to palmitic acid caused changes to the function of genes in cancer cells that allowed them to sense fatty acids and consume them more efficiently. The presence of palmitic acid also appeared to send cancer cells into a “regenerative state” allowing them to form signalling networks beyond the tumour, which is known to be a crucial step towards spreading.

Metastasis of cancer remains the main cause of death in cancer patients and the vast majority of people with metastatic cancer can only be treated, but not cured.

By understanding what cancer cells need to make this leap, the scientists also identified ways to block the process and are planning a clinical trial of proteins that interfere with the tumour response to palmitic acid.

“That is a much more realistic approach in terms of a real therapy, that doesn’t depend on whether a patient likes Nutella or pizza,” said Aznar-Benitah. “Playing with diets is so complicated.”

Prof Greg Hannon, director of the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, said: “This is a rigorous and comprehensive study that suggests that exposure to a major constituent of palm oil durably changes the behaviour of cancer cells, making them more prone to progress from local to potentially lethal metastatic disease. Given the prevalence of palm oil as an ingredient in processed foods, this study provides strong motivation for further study on how dietary choices influence the risk of tumour progression.”

Helen Rippon, chief executive at Worldwide Cancer Research, said: “This discovery is a huge breakthrough in our understanding of how diet and cancer are linked and, perhaps more importantly, how we can use this knowledge to start new cures for cancer. Metastasis is estimated to be responsible for 90% of all cancer deaths – that’s around 9 million deaths a year globally. Learning more about what makes cancer spread and – importantly – how to stop it is the way forward to reduce these numbers.”

Striking big with guavas

 MELAKA: After facing difficulties in selling vegetables and losing thousands of ringgit each day following the movement control order last year, Abdul Halim Abdullah decided to turn to Lohan guava (GU16) farming.

1 Nov 2021

Sweet return: Abdul Halim checking the quality of a guava at his farm in Kampung Tengah, Pulau Gadong in Melaka. — Bernama

Abdul Halim, 45, who has been cultivating vegetables such as chillies and eggplants for the past 13 years, said he made the decision after income from his telecommunications contractor job also suffered during the MCO period.

He now concentrates fully on Lohan guava or jambu batu cultivation.

Today, he has three farms over a ​​2.83ha area around Kampung Tengah, Pulau Gadong here, which are planted with about 1,000 trees.

“In the beginning, there were endless problems including issues over marketing which resulted in the fruits going to waste until I began to collaborate with the Melaka Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama).

“Alhamdulillah, the guava trees that I planted have reached maturity and can produce two tonnes of fruits to enable me to generate an income of RM10,000 a week,” Abdul Halim told Bernama at his farm in Pulau Gadong here.

Apart from supplying them to Fama in Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Melaka, he also supplies his farm produce to about 50 small traders and a wholesaler in the state.

According to Abdul Halim, the eight-tonne monthly supply was at times not sufficient for markets outside Melaka, so he was currently working on a GU16 pilot project with six friends for the cultivation of 2,000 trees on a 3.24ha site in Jalan Setulang Daeng, Bukit Rambai.

“The group project took off in early October and the trees are being planted in stages and will be fully completed by December.

“This would be followed by another project on a 6.47ha site in Bukit Katil early next year,” he said.

“The projects are implemented to meet the growing demand for Lohan guava and my aim is to produce at least 10 tonnes of guava a week by the end of next year,” said Abdul Halim, who comes from a family of farmers.

He now has four full-time employees, including a person with disabilities, to assist him in the three farms.

Abdul Halim said he initiated the group farming project to share his experience and help his friends generate good income equivalent to that of professional workers.

“Growing vegetables and growing Lohan guava is different especially in terms of capital, workload and burden of risk,” he said, adding that he has never regretted switching to guava cultivation.

He has received encouraging responses on the quality of the Lohan guava from buyers who have now become his regular customers as the fruits are sweet, crunchy and juicy.

In terms of pricing, Abdul Halim said the guavas were sold directly from the farms at RM5 per kilogramme for A-grade fruits, while B-grade ones were sold at RM4 and C-grade, at RM3.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/11/01/striking-big-with-guavas?