“Diets high in (unhealthy) fat tend to cause more DNA damage. That allows malignant cells to accumulate ever more mutations, which in turn make it more likely that they will escape the effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Result: more aggressive cancer. In addition, a diet high in fat can weaken your immune system while increasing inflammation, angiogenesis, and blood levels of tumor-promoting growth factors.”
-Keith Block, MD, Life Over Cancer
Research indicates that fats negatively impact cancer cells through various mechanisms. Learn about fats and cancer to understand more about what foods and ingredients to avoid and why. This information discusses trans or hydrogenated fats, saturated fats, and omega 6 fatty acids.
Trans or Hydrogenated Fat
What are trans fats?
Trans fats are partially hydrogenated oils. When hydrogen is added to oil, it becomes partially hydrogenated oil.
What foods contain trans fats?
Trans fats are found in margarine, vegetable shortening, many processed foods, baked goods, fried foods, packaged crackers, icing, some microwave popcorn and baked or biscuit mixes, and some restaurant foods. Trans fats are used because they add shelf life to foods.
What are potential health effects from trans fats?
Trans fats have significant effects in the body directly and indirectly associated with cancer.
- Damages cells1
- Increases LDL, the bad kind of cholesterol
- Lowers HDL, the good kind of cholesterol
- Lowers the levels of polyunsaturated oils, or good oils, in the body
- Increases inflammation
- Interrupts normal brain function
- Increases cancer risk and cancer growth2
What else should I know about trans fats?
- The use of trans fats doubled by 50 percent from 2000 to 2007.
- Harvard School of Public Health researchers estimate that trans fats have been causing about 50,000 premature heart attack deaths annually, which makes partially hydrogenated oil one of the most harmful ingredients in the food supply.
- The Institute of Medicine advised consumers to eat as little trans fats as possible and ideally less than 2 grams a day.
- The Food and Drug Administration requires that any foods that contain less than 0.5 gram of trans fats per serving “shall be expressed as zero” on food labels. Read your labels for ingredients such as partially hydrogenated oil to identify small amounts of trans fats even when the label reads zero.
- Bans on trans fats in restaurants have occurred in over one dozen cities as of 2009 preventing trans fats intake in over 300 million people.
Saturated Fats
What are saturated fats?
Saturated fats contain high levels of hydrogen atoms.
What foods contain saturated fats?
Saturated fats are found in palm oil, lard, butter, cream, many ice creams, cheese, other whole milk products, and meats.
What are the potential health effects from saturated fats?
- Increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases
- Suppresses immune function
- Slows down the body’s ability to detoxify
- Increases levels of oxidation
- Increases risk of dying from some types of cancer with high levels of consumption3
Omega-6 Fatty Acids
What are omega-6 fatty acids?
Omega-6 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that must be obtained through the diet. Like Omega-3 fatty acids, they are essential to human health. The standard American diet contains higher amounts of omega-6s versus omega-3s. Unfortunately, most forms of omega-6 fatty acids are unhealthy. Omega-6 fatty acids must be consumed in moderation. In contrast, omega-3 fatty acids have significant health benefits, especially related to cancer prevention and control. Standard American diet contains much higher amounts of omega-6s versus omega-3s.
What foods contain unhealthy omega-6 fatty acids?
Commercially raised meat, poultry, dairy and eggs, as well as vegetable oils made of corn, soy, vegetable, safflower, peanut, and sunflower. Chickens fed with corn or soy produce eggs with high pro-inflammatory omega-6s.
What are the potential harms of omega-6 fatty acids?
- Suppresses immune function
- Promotes inflammation
- Promotes blood clotting
- Stimulates the formation of new blood vessels supporting cancer growth
- Stimulates the production of tumor-promoting growth factors, and activates a cancer-promoting gene called ras-p21 associated with uncontrolled cell replication and tumor growth
