Common cooking ingredient linked to aggressive form of cancer, research reveals
Experts are warning against overusing these common cooking oils because they contain a fat that is reportedly linked to breast cancer.
Seed and vegetable oils don’t have the best reputation because experts often claim they trigger inflammation in the body.
To further back up that claim, new research by Weill Cornell Medicine discovered that linoleic acid — a fat found in seed, vegetable and nut oils — causes breast cancer cells to multiply and grow.
There are different forms of breast cancer — and the constant use of linoleic acid puts women at risk of developing the most aggressive type: triple-negative.
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Unfortunately, this invasive form spreads faster and requires a harsher treatment plan — which might include a combination of chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy.
The survival rate is also lower, at 77%, compared to regular breast cancer, which is around 90%.
“We now know that linoleic acid feeds cancer cell growth in a very specific way,” said Dr. John Blenis, the study’s senior author and a cancer researcher at Weill Cornell.
Blenis is optimistic about this discovery, because he feels that it “sheds light on how to define which patients might benefit from specific nutritional recommendations.”
And before people panic over this news, “the findings do not warrant blanket avoidance of seed oils, but suggest moderation and selectivity, especially for high-risk individuals,” Blenis reassured.
The expert went on to say that this discovery is just one piece of the puzzle.
“A balanced, whole-food diet remains an important cornerstone of cancer prevention, and a strategy everyone can adopt,” he explained.
If you’re unsure what is considered a seed oil — canola, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed, soy, sunflower, safflower and rice all fit the bill.
Seed oils are high in omega-6 fatty acids and lower in omega-3s — and that’s where the problem lies.
“The problem seems to be in the proportions of the two fats that we take in,” Stephanie Schiff, a registered dietitian and nutritionist at Northwell’s Huntington Hospital, told The Post.
“We tend to get a higher-than-healthy ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s, and that can lead to problems with inflammation in the body,” she added.
Overall, these oils should be used in moderation, and this news reinstates that people should eat a balanced diet consisting of fruits and vegetables.
