I was recently directed to this Nature produced YouTube video and found it very informative and relatable, it explains how important diet is when it comes to fighting infections and disease and how what we eat can directly affect how our immune cells behave. Lydia Lynch runs a research facility based in Harvard University which investigates the effects of obesity and diet on immune cell function and how it this contributes to the regulation of metabolism and body weight. One of their recent publications [1] explains how within the various metabolic pathways of our body, metabolites are produced which are highly influenced by dietary sourced nutrients, these metabolites can regulate the action of tumour and immune cells within a cancerous environment, their research has shown that obesity and high fat diets can have a direct impact on tumour cells by restricting the action of anti-tumour immune cells enabling the tumour to grow unrestricted.
A recent review on the role of diet in cancer [2] reiterates the substantial impact diet has on the incidence, progression and prognosis of cancer and how it could be used not only as a very effective preventative treatment but also to potentially enhance cancer therapies.
It has been reported that approximately 20% of cancer mortalities can be attributed to diet [3], if you look at this positively it means that making dietary changes such as eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and reducing alcohol and ultra-processed food intake can have a powerful preventative effect on cancer [4].
References
1. McIntyre, C.L., A. Temesgen, and L. Lynch, Diet, nutrient supply, and tumor immune responses. Trends Cancer, 2023. 9(9): p. 752-763.
2. Britten, O. and S. Tosi, The role of diet in cancer: the potential of shaping public policy and clinical outcomes in the UK. Genes Nutr, 2024. 19(1): p. 15.
3. Blot, W.J. and R.E. Tarone, Doll and Peto’s quantitative estimates of cancer risks: holding generally true for 35 years. J Natl Cancer Inst, 2015. 107(4).
4. Muscaritoli, M., et al., ESPEN practical guideline: Clinical Nutrition in cancer. Clin Nutr, 2021. 40(5): p. 2898-2913.
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