Living in harmony with oil and fat

TYPE of fat commonly found in cooking oils and animal products may be fuelling the growth of one of the deadliest forms of breast cancer, a new research from Weill Cornell Medicine suggests.

- RISHITA KHANNA @ Bengaluru

The study found that linoleic acid — an omega-6 fatty acid abundant in seed oils like soybean and safflower, as well as in pork and eggs — could promote the development and spread of triple-negative breast cancer, a subtype known for its aggressive nature and lower survival rate (77%) compared to other forms of breast cancer (90%).

Published on March 14 in the journal 'Science', the preclinical study showed that linoleic acid triggers a major growth pathway in tumour cells by binding to a protein called FABP5, which is present in higher amounts in triple-negative cancer cells than in hormone-sensitive ones.

In experiments conducted on mice, a diet high in linoleic acid significantly accelerated tumour growth, highlighting the potential for new diet-based and pharmaceutical strategies to combat breast and other types of cancers.

Although the study highlights an alarming trend, health experts stress that fats are essential for the body, and the type and balance of fats consumed can be a factor in maintaining good health.

Fats serve several important functions in the body, such as providing energy, supporting cell structure, and helping with the absorption of certain vitamins.

However, not all fats are created equal.

There are different types of fats, and they can have vastly different effects on our health, said Dr Sai Vivek V, consultant, medical and haemato oncology at Aster Hospital.

Essential fatty acids

There are two main categories of fats - saturated fats and unsaturated fats.

"Unsaturated fats are further divided into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, the latter of which includes omega-6 fatty acids like linoleic acid.