Consumption of a handful of walnuts a day can suppress the development of colon cancer , according to a new study.
Due to the content of omega-3 fatty acids , along with other nutrients, these nuts can reduce inflammation in tumor cells in colon cancer . They also reduce the blood supply to the tumor, which significantly slows its growth.
Colon cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. According to the National Cancer Registry in Bulgaria, it represents 8.6% of all malignancies in both sexes. In 2012, the newly registered cases were 2,772, of which 52.7% were in men. The actual incidence is 41.1 per 100,000 men and 35.0 per 100,000 women.
The new study was conducted by scientists at Harvard Medical School in the United States and was the first to analyze the effect of nuts on microribonucleic acid (microRNA). It is associated with controlling the way genes adapt to environmental factors.
According to the researchers, the results show that a diet rich in walnuts causes significant changes in the expression of the miRNA profile in tumor tissue of the colon .
Although further research is needed in this direction, scientists believe that a change in miRNA expression is related to the suppression of colon cancer.
During their laboratory research, they found that the consumption of walnuts affects key miRNAs that relate to inflammation in tumor cells, blood supply and proliferation. There is also a delay in tumor growth.
Scientists emphasize that it should not be forgotten that these results are based on laboratory studies. It is not clear what the effect would be on humans.
The study data are published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry .