Is your cooking oil safe? Study says it can lead to cancer in young people | Health

What if the reason behind cancer is hiding in your kitchen? A shocking study, funded by the US government states that cooking oil can be the reason of cancer explosion, especially in young people. The study, published in the medical journal Gut, explored how overconsumption of seed oils such as sunflower, grapeseed, canola and corn can lead to an increased risk of cancer. Also read | Omega-3 and Omega-6 against cancer: Add these healthy fats to your diet

Findings of the study:

The study was conducted on 80 patients with colon cancer. It was observed that they had high levels of bioactive lipids which is formed by breaking down seed oils. The study observed 81 tumour samples in people aged between 30 to 85 and high amounts of lipid content in their cancerous tumours were concluded to be caused by seed oils.

Seed oils are a rather new inclusion in the food industry. In the early 1900s, candle-maker William Procter invented seed oils as a cheaper alternative to animal fats in soap. However, soon it became a staple in the diet of the Americans. Also read | Flaxseed oil can do wonders for your health, here are 6 benefits to it

Seed oil and cancer: What’s the connection?

Earlier studies explored the harmful implications of seed oil on health. It can lead to inflammation in the body. However, these bioactive lipids caused by seed oil breakdown can help colon cancer develop faster and also prevent the body from fighting the tumours. Seed oils contain omega-6 and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and studies are ongoing to understand their link to diabetes and heart diseases. Also read | Omega-3 fats from fish better than flaxseed in preventing cancer

According to the research paper, chronic inflammation caused by overconsumption of seed oils can drive cancer growth and progression. “We show that the lipidomic profile of CRC tumours exhibits a distinct pro-inflammatory bias with a deficiency of endogenous resolving mediators secondary to defective lipid class switching. These observations pave the way for ‘resolution medicine’, a novel therapeutic approach for inducing or providing resolvins to mitigate the chronic inflammation driving cancer growth and progression,” read an excerpt of the study statement.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.