Diet plays an important role in the genesis of obesity. (Photo : Facebook)
Study reveals that consumption of high amounts of sugar in Western diet may increase the chance of getting breast cancer that can progress to metastasis of the lungs. It also emphasized that the increased consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks has been identified as one of the major contributors to obesity, cancer, and heart disease worldwide.
Researchers from the University of Texas have demonstrated the effect of sugar on an enzymatic signaling pathway, which is also known as 12-LOX or 12-lipoxygenase. Peiying Yang, one of the researchers from the said university said that they found out that sucrose consumption in mice, which is similar with the levels of Western diets results to an increased tumor growth and metastasis, when compared to a diet that does not involve sugar, Times of India reported.
Yang stated that this was due to an increased 12-LOX expressions as well as 12-HETE, which is a fatty acid. Furthermore, Lorenzo Cohen a co-author, also mentioned that they were also able to investigate the impact of dietary sugar on the development of mammary gland tumor in several mouse models together with other mechanisms. Fructose is responsible for lung metastasis while the 12-HETE for the production in breast tumors as per Cohen.
According to both authors, determining the risk factors involved in the development of breast cancer is a public health priority. The two researchers also said that moderate sugar intake is already critical, given that the per capita sugar consumption in the United States has skyrocketed to over 100 lbs. per year.
The aforementioned study is published in the Journal Cancer Research.
