We need our omega-6 fatty acids—healthy sources include nuts and eggs—but you can have too much of a good thing: a new study has found the polyunsaturated fats can accelerate the growth of an aggressive type of breast cancer.
Omega-6, or linoleic acid, can activate growth pathways for the ‘triple negative’ form of breast cancer, one of the toughest types to treat. They bind to the protein FABP5, which is common in triple negative cancers.
So, how can a fatty acid that’s essential for good health also activate killer tumors? Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine investigated by feeding laboratory mice high amounts of linoleic acid, and discovered the fats were increasing levels of FABP5 proteins. These, in turn, were increasing instances of triple negative cancers, so named because the tumors lack three receptors which are traditionally targeted for standard chemotherapy.
Omega-6 is an essential fat, but our bodies can’t produce it and so we get it from our diet, and eggs and nuts are good sources. It becomes deadly when we consume too much—as the researchers noticed with the mice—and since the 1950s, we’ve been consuming too much because of the seed oils, such as soybean and safflower oils, which are in fried and ultra-processed foods.
Researchers have suspected that excessive omega-6 consumption from processed food could be behind the surge in cancers since the Second World War, and now the Weill Cornell researchers have taken a step towards confirming their suspicions.
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Stay Healthy, Janice
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