How High-Fat Diets Can Fuel Cancer Growth

Most of us enjoy a rich meal now and then, but when high-fat foods become a habit, they can do more than just affect our waistline. High-fat foods can increase cancer risk by influencing hormones, stressing our cells, and weakening our body’s defenses. Knowing how diet affects our body gives us the power to make small changes that matter.

Fat, hormones, and cancer risk

A high-fat diet causes excessive body fat that acts as an endocrine organ. This fat tissue increases estrogen production. High estrogen levels are associated with high risks for some cancers, in particular, breast cancer and reproductive cancers. High-fat diets can directly affect the DNA by causing mutations and changing gene expression, leading to cancer by silencing tumor-suppressing genes. The cellular pathways regulating cell survival and cell death are disrupted. With changed pathways, the cells evade normal control mechanisms. 

Effect on growth hormones and metabolism

Elevating insulin levels and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) destroys the body’s metabolic balance. Insulin and IGF-1 are hormones that promote cell proliferation; they act as fertilizers for cancer cells. Metabolism due to a huge amount of fat generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing oxidative stress. This damages the cellular components, lipids, proteins, and DNA, and contributes to the initiation of cancer and its progression. It affects the body’s natural antioxidant defenses and creates a highly carcinogenic environment.

Inflammation and immunity

A persistent immune response to high-fat diets triggers chronic and low-grade inflammation. Chronic inflammation weakens the immune cells responsible for the identification and elimination of cancer cells. It also releases molecules like cytokines and chemokines and exhausts cancer-fighting immune cells like cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer (NK) cells. 

When Dietary fat drives metastasis

Some types of fat can increase tumor spread by altering cellular behavior. It can unfavorably change the gut microbiome by affecting metabolism and promoting metastasis. To help in digestion, the dietary fat makes the liver produce bile acids; the amount and composition of bile acids change in a high-fat environment. The gut bacteria, then, metabolize these changed bile acids into secondary bile acids. A few of these are known carcinogens, causing colorectal cancer in particular.

Reducing the cancer risk

Diet modification and avoiding high-fat foods that increase cancer risk can be a key factor for cancer prevention. Maintaining a healthy weight, choosing healthier fats (like nuts, avocados, and olive oil), being physically active, and following a plant-based diet rich in fiber and antioxidants are essential. Increasing nutritional intake by reducing high-fat foods fights many risk factors. Reduce processed meats and refined sugars, and focus on a balanced diet. Consume whole foods to ensure the intake of vitamins and phytochemicals that help DNA repair and reduce oxidative stress.