- Researchers report that a diet high in fat can increase the risk of diseases such as colon cancer.
- They add that high-fat eating habits can also affect the immune system and brain function.
- Experts say that even small changes in a person’s diet can have a positive impact on overall health.
Researchers at the University of California Riverside say high fat diets affect genes linked to obesity, colon cancer, and irritable bowels.
They add that the high-fat diets also adversely affect the immune system, brain function, and a person’s risk of getting COVID-19.
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For their research, scientists fed mice three different diets over 24 weeks. At least 40% of the calories from the diets came from fat.
The researchers then examined genetic changes in all four parts of the mice’s intestines.
One group of mice consumed a diet based on saturated fat from coconut oil. The second group took in a diet based on monounsaturated, modified soybean oil. The third group consumed an unmodified soybean oil diet high in polyunsaturated fat.
Even though mouse studies don’t always translate to humans, researchers noted that mice share 97% of people’s working DNA.
When compared to a low-fat control diet, all three groups of mice “experienced concerning changes in gene expression,” which is the process of turning genetic information into functional substances like protein.
“Word on the street is that plant-based diets are better for you and in many cases that’s true. However, a diet high in fat, even from a plant, is one case where it’s just not true,” said Frances Sladek, the study’s lead author and a UC Riverside cell biology professor, in a press…
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