Trusted Source A poor diet is linked to many health conditions, including obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast, cervix, and colon cancers. A high intake of sodium, saturated fat and sugar can increase the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, but little is known about the link between diet and cancer.
According to a reliable source at the National Cancer Institute, although many foods have been linked to an increase or decrease in the risk of cancer, no research has shown that a single food ingredient directly causes or protects against cancer. In cell studies, researchers found that methylglyoxal is produced when cells can break down glucose to release energy and suppress genes that protect against cancer. They showed that a poor diet leads to higher levels of methylglycoxal, increasing the risk of cancer.
Methylglyoxal is a reliable source for glucose, protein and lipid metabolism. They are reactive small molecules that can interfere with cell function, so enzymes convert them into less harmful substances. However, it does show that if too much methylglycoxal is produced, it can damage the excess DNA.
The researchers first examined the effect of methylglycoxal on cells from people who inherited a copy of BRCA2, a mutated gene that increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
“[M]etilglycoxal causes the destruction of the BRCA2 protein and reduces its level in the cells. (It does not prevent the expression of the BRCA2 gene.) This effect is temporary, but it can be long-lasting to maintain the tumor-suppressing function of BRCA2.”
Methylglycoxal causes DNA damage in cells with a mutated version of the BRCA2 gene. Repeated exposure to methylglycoxal increases the level of DNA damage.
Poor diet increases cancer risk, scientists reveals
