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A US government-led study has found that vegetable oils common in heavily processed Western diets may contribute to rising colon cancer rates. Researchers discovered that unhealthy seed oils, such as sunflower, grapeseed, canola and corn oil, can trigger chronic inflammation in the body.
Until now, evidence linking cooking oils to colon cancer had been inconclusive. But the latest US study identified seed oils as a potential contributing factor after examining tumours from more than 80 colon cancer patients aged between 30 and 85.
The tumours showed elevated levels of bioactive lipids — small oily molecules produced when the body metabolises seed oils — compared with healthy tissue, according to the study published in the journal "Gut".
In addition to increasing inflammation, these bioactive lipids impede the body's natural healing process and promote tumour growth. Researchers noted that oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids, found in avocados and olives, offer healthier alternatives.
Renowned physician and scientist Dr Timothy Yeatman stressed the urgent need to reassess parts of the Western diet, including added sugars, saturated fats, ultra-processed foods, chemical additives and inflammation-triggering seed oils.
Dr Yeatman, who also serves as director of the Center for Research and Translation at the TGH Cancer Institute, said: "Patients who follow unhealthy diets are known to have increased inflammation in their bodies."
He added: "We're now seeing this inflammation in the colon tumours themselves. Cancer is like a chronic wound that won't heal — if your body relies daily on ultra-processed foods, its ability to heal that wound diminishes due to inflammation and immune suppression, eventually allowing cancer to grow."
However, major US health institutions have clarified that consuming moderate amounts of seed oils as part of a balanced diet has not been shown to cause cancer.