Peanuts are a popular snack enjoyed by many. They’re crunchy, tasty, and often seen as a healthy choice. But a recent study from the University of Liverpool suggests that people with cancer may need to be cautious about eating them.
Researchers focused on a protein in peanuts called Peanut Agglutinin (PNA). When you eat peanuts, this protein enters your bloodstream. The study found that PNA may play a role in helping cancer spread.
How Could Peanuts Affect Cancer?
PNA affects blood vessels in a way that triggers the release of certain chemicals in the body, known as cytokines. Two cytokines, IL-6 and MCP-1, are particularly concerning because they make blood vessels more welcoming to cancer cells.
This means that cancer cells may have an easier time traveling through the body and forming new tumors in different areas.
In earlier research, this same team discovered that PNA attaches to sugar chains found on cancer cells. This makes the cancer cells stickier, helping them clump together and survive in the bloodstream.
Since cancer spreads when tumor cells travel through the blood, anything that helps them survive in circulation could make the disease worse.
Should You Stop Eating Peanuts?
If you are healthy and don’t have cancer, there is no strong evidence that eating peanuts is harmful. For most people, peanuts remain a good source of protein and healthy fats.
However, if you or someone you love has cancer, this research suggests it may be a good idea to reduce peanut consumption. While scientists don’t yet know exactly how much of an impact peanuts have on cancer spread, being cautious could be a smart choice until more research is done.
What Comes Next?
The research team, led by Lu-Gang Yu, is calling for more studies to understand the risks better. Their findings were published in the journal Carcinogenesis, but the research is still ongoing.
For now, if you’re undergoing cancer treatment, you may want to talk to your doctor about whether you should limit peanuts in your diet. Making small changes to your food choices could help reduce any potential risks while researchers continue to study this important issue.
Staying informed about new health research is always a good idea. More updates may come in the future, but for now, cancer patients should be aware of this potential link and make choices that best support their health.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that low-carb diet could increase overall cancer risk, and new way to increase the longevity of cancer survivors.
For more information about cancer, please see recent studies about how to fight cancer with these anti-cancer superfoods, and results showing daily vitamin D3 supplementation may reduce cancer death risk.
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