Health - Food - 31/2025

Weekly roundup (28. July - 4. August)

Food

A 10-year study found that in obese mice, diets high in animal fats such as lard, beef tallow, and butter sped up tumor growth by weakening the body’s anti-tumor immunity. In contrast, equally obese mice eating plant-based fats like coconut, palm, or olive oil did not show this harmful effect.

Researchers discovered that mice fed animal fats had higher levels of long-chain acylcarnitine metabolites inside immune cells, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and reducing the activity of both cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells, which are crucial for fighting tumors.

Interestingly, a palm oil-based diet not only avoided this damage but actually boosted anti-tumor immunity and slowed tumor growth by increasing the function of c-Myc, a key regulator of cell metabolism.

These findings suggest that it is the source of dietary fat, not obesity alone, that plays the bigger role in tumor progression, and that choosing the right fats could open up new dietary strategies for cancer prevention and treatment in obese individuals. [source]

Building on the broader impact of dietary fats on health, a world-first study from the University of South Australia discovered that eating two eggs a day as part of a high-cholesterol but low saturated fat diet can actually reduce LDL cholesterol levels and help lower the risk of heart disease.

The study highlighted that it is saturated fat, not the dietary cholesterol from eggs, that mainly drives up LDL cholesterol.

Researchers stressed the need to rethink the role of eggs in a healthy diet. They also pointed out that it’s often the foods paired with eggs, such as bacon or sausage, that are more harmful to heart health. [source]

Extending this discussion to natural compounds beyond fats, green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a strong antioxidant that can disrupt cancer cell energy production and interfere with their proteins. This effect may also make chemotherapy and radiation treatments work better.

Red wine has resveratrol, a compound that helps block the growth of new blood vessels feeding tumors and also strengthens the immune system in fighting cancer cells.

Across the world, more than 3,000 plants are reported to have anticancer properties. Some examples include parsley, turmeric, and aloe vera, which all contain active compounds studied for their protective effects.

Scientists are also exploring ways to make these natural compounds work better in the body. For example, they use nanoparticles or bioavailability enhancers like piperine (found in black pepper) to improve absorption and boost their impact in cancer therapy. [source]

Building on the theme of diet influencing health through biological mechanisms, a study of 48 patients with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) tested the effects of a four-week low FODMAP diet. Out of these, 34 participants improved, reporting less diarrhea and abdominal pain.

The low FODMAP diet worked by strengthening the gut barrier (reducing "leaky gut") and by lowering both the number and activity of inflammatory mast cells in the colon lining.

To better understand the process, researchers also ran mice experiments. They found that a high FODMAP diet raised levels of fecal lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which then activated mast cells and made the gut barrier weaker.

These findings suggest that a low FODMAP diet can be a promising option to improve gut barrier function and reduce inflammation in people with IBS-D. [source]

Extending this perspective on diet and immune function, a study of 132 patients with advanced melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer found that high sucralose consumption was linked to a weaker response to immunotherapy and lower survival rates.

In mouse models, sucralose disrupted the gut microbiome, increasing bacteria that break down arginine—an amino acid essential for T cell function, which is critical for the success of cancer immunotherapy.

When researchers gave mice arginine or citrulline supplements, the effectiveness of immunotherapy was restored even in the presence of sucralose.

Next, researchers plan to launch clinical trials to test citrulline supplementation in patients and to study whether other sugar substitutes such as aspartame and stevia might have similar effects on immunotherapy outcomes. [source]

Reinforcing these concerns about artificial sweeteners, an Australian study tracked more than 36,000 adults for nearly 14 years and found that drinking just one can of artificially sweetened soft drink daily may raise the risk of type 2 diabetes by 38%.

Surprisingly, the diabetes risk from artificially sweetened drinks was even higher than the 23% increased risk linked to sugar-sweetened beverages.

This connection held true even after adjusting for body weight, suggesting that these drinks may have a direct effect on metabolism rather than being explained only by weight gain.

The results challenge the idea that artificially sweetened drinks are a safer choice and point to important public health implications, including the need to reduce intake of all non-nutritive beverages. [source]

Broadening the discussion to long-term dietary patterns and overall health, a long-term study in Sweden tracked just over 2,400 older adults for 15 years to see how diet affects chronic diseases.

Researchers compared four types of diets:

• Three healthy diets, rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and unsaturated fats.

• One pro-inflammatory diet, high in red and processed meats, refined grains, and sugary drinks.

The results showed that healthy diets helped slow down the progression of chronic illnesses such as heart disease and dementia. However, they did not appear to prevent issues with muscles and bones.

On the other hand, the pro-inflammatory diet clearly increased the risk of chronic diseases in older adults, making it less suitable for long-term health. [source]

Building on the theme of dietary patterns and their impact on health, new research from the University of Michigan shows that ultra-processed foods like chips, cookies, and soda can trigger addictive behaviors that meet the clinical criteria for substance-use disorders. This conclusion comes from a review of nearly 300 studies across 36 countries.

Brain scans (neuroimaging) reveal that people who compulsively eat these foods have disruptions in brain circuits similar to those seen in alcohol and cocaine addiction. Interestingly, medications that reduce cravings for ultra-processed foods also help reduce compulsive drug use, suggesting a shared biological pathway.

Despite this strong evidence, ultra-processed food addiction is not yet formally recognized in official diagnostic manuals, unlike alcohol or drug addictions. [source]

Extending this concern about ultra-processed foods, a large study of 101,732 people aged 55–74 found that eating about 3 servings of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) per day was linked to a 41% higher risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer over a period of 12 years.

Among the 1,706 lung cancer cases, participants who ate the most UPFs had a 37% higher risk of non-small cell lung cancer and a 44% higher risk of small cell lung cancer compared to those who ate the least.

The most commonly consumed UPFs were:

• Lunch meats (11%)

• Diet or caffeinated soft drinks (just over 7%)

• Decaffeinated soft drinks (nearly 7%)

Researchers warn that as UPF consumption continues to rise worldwide, it may increase lung cancer risk by replacing healthier foods and by introducing harmful substances created during food processing. [source]