Peanuts are a popular snack around the world. People love their crunchy texture and rich taste. They are usually seen as a healthy food because they contain protein, good fats, and fiber.
But new research from the University of Liverpool shows that people who have cancer might need to be careful when eating peanuts.
The scientists looked at a protein found in peanuts called Peanut agglutinin, or PNA for short. When you eat peanuts, this protein can enter your blood. The study found that this protein can affect how your blood vessels work. Blood vessels are the tubes that carry blood around your body.
The problem is that PNA may cause your body to produce more of two chemicals called IL-6 and MCP-1. These chemicals are known to play a role in helping cancer spread.
They make the inner lining of blood vessels more “sticky,” so cancer cells can move more easily from one place in the body to another. This process is dangerous because it helps cancer grow and spread.
In earlier research, the same team found that the peanut protein PNA acts like Velcro for cancer cells. It sticks to certain sugar-like molecules that are more common on cancer cells.
When PNA attaches to these sugar chains, it causes the cancer cells to clump together. These clumps are strong enough to survive as they move through the bloodstream, which is one of the ways cancer spreads to different parts of the body.
This doesn’t mean that everyone should stop eating peanuts. For healthy people, peanuts are still a good snack. But for people who are fighting cancer, eating peanuts might carry some risks. It may help cancer spread faster by making it easier for cancer cells to travel through the body.
If you or someone you care about has cancer, it might be a good idea to avoid or limit peanut intake. This small step could help reduce the chance of the cancer getting worse. The study doesn’t say that peanuts directly cause cancer, but it does show that they might play a role in how cancer spreads.
The lead researcher, Dr. Lu-Gang Yu, says more research is needed to understand exactly how peanuts and cancer are connected. He and his team want to continue studying this issue to give clearer answers in the future.
This is important news for people who are going through cancer treatment and enjoy eating peanuts. Knowing about this research can help you make better choices for your health. Until scientists know more, it may be best to be cautious.
The findings from this study were published in a science journal called Carcinogenesis. We hope this article helps explain the study in a clear and simple way, so you can stay informed and make decisions that support your health.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that artificial sweeteners are linked to higher cancer risk, and how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease and cancer.
For more health information, please see recent studies about the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, and results showing vitamin D supplements strongly reduces cancer death.
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