Researchers have found that high consumption of a very common nutrient is correlated with a higher risk of breast, prostate, colon, and lung cancers.
How This Works
This nutrient causes changes in gut flora that lead to the production of higher amounts of leucine, an amino acid. Leucine triggers the production of a certain type of white blood cell that suppresses the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.
The Nutrient in Question: Dietary Fat
The nutrient being described is dietary fat. This may help explain why population studies consistently show that countries with the highest fat consumption have higher rates of breast, prostate, colon, and lung cancers, compared to countries with comparatively low fat intake.
Emerging Research
There’s also emerging research suggesting that a lower-fat diet can reverse these gut and immune changes — potentially reducing cancer risk and even supporting treatment in some cases.
For more tips on natural health, visit peacediet.org to see the introductory lecture on cancer and download the free eBook Health Secrets.
About Dr. Terry Shintani, MD, JD, MPH
Dr. Terry Shintani is a Harvard-trained physician and nutritionist, named a Living Treasure of Hawai’i and recipient of the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Award for Excellence. He is the creator of the Peace Diet and the landmark Waianae Diet — published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and cited over 137 times — and the author of 16 books on natural health and nutrition, drawing on more than 35 years of clinical practice in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Learn more about Dr. Shintani’s work and recognition: NLM Native Voices
Sources:
- NIH/PubMed — Dietary Fat, Gut Microbiota, and Leucine Production
- NIH/PubMed — Population Studies: Dietary Fat Intake and Cancer Incidence
- NIH/PubMed — Low-Fat Dietary Interventions and Immune Function