There has been a missing link in the connection between junk food and cancer risk, but scientists think they’ve found it.
The impact of methylglyoxal, a byproduct of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, on a tumor-fighting gene was the focus of a Singaporean investigation.
To their knowledge, methylglyoxal is the first drug to temporarily deactivate the BRCA2 gene, which protects against the development and progression of cancer.
For decades, doctors have known that junk food increases cancer risk, even in those who are not overweight. However, the specific mechanism was still a mystery.
It could help shed light on the alarming rise in cancer rates, especially colon tumors, among young, seemingly healthy Americans.
In addition, the researchers pointed out that the data disproves a long-standing idea known as Knudson’s ‘two-hit’ paradigm, which states that cancer-causing genes like BRCA2 need to be entirely dormant in the body.
Although these genes are designed to help the body fight cancer, there is evidence that people who inherit defective copies from their parents are more likely to develop certain types of cancer, including pancreatic and breast cancer.
Damage to genes like BRCA2 would worsen with repeated exposure, as would the consumption of processed foods and red meat.
The researchers tested the effects of methylglyoxal on cancer cells taken from individuals predisposed to the disease due to a hereditary BRCA2 gene mutation.
A discovery was made: exposure to methylglyoxal rendered tumor suppression ineffective.
According to Dr. Venkitaraman, there is enough evidence that some people are prone to breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and other types of cancers due to inherited defective copies of the cancer-preventive gene BRCA2.
Repeated bouts of unhealthy eating or uncontrolled diabetes might “add up” to a higher risk of cancer, according to his recent research, which shows that methylglyoxal can temporarily deactivate genes that prevent cancer.
However, more research is required on the matter since the scientists noted that the study was conducted in cells rather than humans.
Diet may influence cancer risk, especially colon cancer.
The chemical citrate, produced when food is converted into energy, has been shown to suppress tumor development; however, research from the Cleveland Clinic indicated that those under 50 who had a diet high in red meat and sweets had lower amounts of this substance.
Last Thursday, the journal Cell published the new findings.
