Abuse of meat is fraught with intestinal cancer
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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A high concentration of iron in the body increases the risk of developing bowel cancer. And one of the main sources of iron is red meat. As it turned out, iron adversely affects the work of the gene, which usually protects against cancer.
Studies in mice showed that the probability of cancer was strongly dependent on the level of iron and the work of the APC gene. When this gene worked incorrectly, mice with a high level of iron intake were 2-3 times more likely to end their life with the disease. But if the mouse consumed little iron, even with a defective gene, they did not develop cancer.
As Professor Owen Sansam notes, the defective APC gene is behind 8 cases of cancer out of every 10. The meat also contains a compound called gem (gives the meat a red color). It damages the lining of the intestine. And in the process of frying, carcinogenic compounds are secreted from meat.
Over time, the likelihood that cells in the intestine will begin to produce a defective gene and react to iron in the diet increases. If the gene does not work, iron accumulates in the lining. This process uses the wnt signaling pathway, leading to uncontrolled cell division.
Iron also promotes the growth of cells with defective APC. It was proved: mice without a problem gene or with a normally functioning gene did not suffer from cancer, despite the high iron content in the diet. In these animals, the signal path wnt was inactive.
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