Study links Western diet to chronic inflammation and colorectal cancer growth

Colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, may be caused by the food on our diets. Researchers at the University of South Florida and the Cancer Institute at Tampa General Hospital have discovered a potential link between a Western diet dominated by ultra-processed foods and unhealthy oils and chronic inflammation that promotes tumor growth. I discovered that there is a sex.

Researchers have already made significant progress in understanding colorectal cancer through a five-year, $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. The project's first study investigates how processed foods may interfere with the body's natural healing processes. Their findings will be published online in Gut, the leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, on Tuesday, December 10 at 10 a.m. ET, at which time the embargo will be lifted. .

“It's well known that patients who have an unhealthy diet have increased inflammation in their bodies,” says Dr. Petersen, a distinguished physician-scientist and professor of surgery at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, and said Dr. Timothy Yetman, Associate Center Director for Rational Research and Innovation. At TGH Cancer Research Institute. “Now we see this inflammation in the colon tumors themselves, but cancer is like a chronic wound that doesn't heal. When your body lives on ultra-processed foods every day, it has a poor ability to heal that wound. It is lowered by inflammation and suppression of the immune system, which ultimately allows cancer to grow.”

Yetman said the findings reconsider the composition of Western diets, which typically consist of an excess of added sugars, saturated fats, ultra-processed foods, chemicals and inflammatory seed oils. It emphasizes the urgent need for evaluation. The USF Health Heart Institute has previously shown that an unbalanced diet not only affects colorectal cancer, but also other diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. I discovered it.

Our bodies are designed to proactively resolve inflammation with bioactive lipid compounds derived from the healthy fats we consume, such as avocados. Bioactive lipids are very small molecules that come from the foods we eat, and when they come from processed foods, they can directly unbalance the immune system and cause chronic inflammation. ”

Ganesh Halade, Associate Professor, USF Health Heart Institute, Member of the Cancer Biology Program, TGH Cancer Institute

Molecules are difficult to detect, but Harade used sensitive analytical techniques to identify trace amounts of lipids in 162 tumor samples taken from patients at Tampa General Hospital. The tumor was frozen within 30 minutes after removal and delivered to his laboratory through the USF and TGH Cancer Institute Biobank in collaboration with USF Health Colorectal Surgery and the TGH Cancer Institute Gastrointestinal Oncology Program. was transported to.

The researchers observed that inside tumors, there was an excess of molecules that promoted inflammation and a lack of molecules that resolved inflammation and promoted healing. These discoveries pave the way for solution medicine, a new natural approach focused on restoring balance in patients' diets to more effectively treat colorectal cancer.

“The human immune system is extremely powerful and can dramatically impact the tumor microenvironment, which would be great if harnessed correctly for health and wellness,” said Yetman. “But this is not the case when inflammation is suppressed by inflammatory lipids found in processed foods.”

Restorative medicine uses healthy unprocessed foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and fish oil derivatives called “specialized recovery-promoting mediators” to restore the body's healing mechanisms, along with balanced sleep and exercise. Focus on reversing inflammation.

“This has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment, going beyond drugs and harnessing natural healing processes,” Yetman said. “This is an important step in addressing chronic inflammation and preventing disease before it develops.”

Early trials using special derivatives of fish oil have shown the potential to address the root causes of inflammation. The trial is ongoing at the TGH Cancer Institute, and the team will continue to study curative medicine and its impact on patient treatment and disease prevention.