Scientists from IRB Barcelona have discovered that a type of fat found in palm oil, called palmitic acid, may play a serious role in helping cancer spread in the body.
This new research was led by Professor Salvador Aznar-Benitah and published in the journal Nature. It shows that palmitic acid can make certain cancers, like oral cancer and skin cancer (melanoma), more likely to spread—a process known as metastasis.
Metastasis is the way cancer moves from one part of the body to another. It is the main reason why many people die from cancer. Even though some treatments can help control metastatic cancer, curing it remains very difficult.
The scientists in this study wanted to understand how the food we eat might affect cancer’s ability to spread. They focused on fatty acids, which are tiny building blocks of fat found in many foods. Some fatty acids are helpful, while others may be harmful.
What they found was alarming. Palmitic acid, which is commonly found in palm oil and used in many packaged and processed foods, seemed to encourage cancer cells to spread. On the other hand, other fats like oleic acid (in olive oil) and linoleic acid (in flaxseeds) did not cause the same problem.
Even more troubling is that palmitic acid didn’t just help the cancer spread while it was in the body—it seemed to leave a lasting “memory” in the cancer cells. This happened through something called epigenetic changes.
These are changes that affect how genes behave without changing the actual DNA. Once these changes happen, the cancer cells stay highly aggressive, even if the palmitic acid is no longer in the body.
The researchers tested this by feeding mice palmitic acid and watching how their cancers behaved. They saw that not only did the cancer spread more, but the cancer cells also built a network of nerve-like connections around the tumor. This made it easier for the cells to talk to their surroundings and travel to new parts of the body.
The study also found that these changes helped the cancer cells survive and grow in new places after they left the original tumor. This is a big reason why the cancer became harder to treat.
Because of these results, the scientists are now working on new treatments that could stop palmitic acid from helping cancer cells spread. They are preparing to test these treatments in clinical trials for different types of cancer. If these trials go well, it could lead to new medicines that slow or stop metastasis, which would be a big step forward in cancer care.
Even though these findings are serious, the scientists say it’s too early to tell people with cancer to avoid palm oil or palmitic acid. More research is needed before doctors can give clear advice on diet changes for people with cancer.
This study is important not only for cancer patients, but also for everyone who wants to understand how diet can affect their health. Palm oil is found in many everyday foods, so this research may lead to new conversations about what we eat and how it impacts disease.
In the end, this research shows how a common food ingredient might help cancer grow and spread. It reminds us that what we eat matters—and that science is still uncovering how deeply diet and disease are connected.
If you care about cancer, please see recent studies about new way to increase the longevity of cancer survivors, and results showing new way to supercharge cancer-fighting T cells.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease and cancer and results showing that vitamin D supplements could strongly reduce cancer death.
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