- A poor diet increases the risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.
- Experts have not found any clear cause-and-effect relationship between individual dietary components and cancer.
- A new study finds that methylglyoxal, produced when glucose is broken down in cells, may help explain the link between poor diet and cancer.
- They believe that long-term poor diet will lead to increased production of methylglyoxal, which will turn off anti-cancer genes and increase the risk of cancer.
Although many foods are said to be associated with increased or decreased cancer risk, according to
Now, a study from the National University of Singapore is published in
In cell studies, researchers found that methylglyoxal, which is produced when cells break down glucose to release energy, can suppress genes that prevent cancer. They believe a poor diet can lead to elevated levels of methylglyoxal, increasing the likelihood of cancer.
This study shows a potential correlation between high levels of methylglyoxal, a metabolic byproduct, and patterns of genetic mutations found in some cancers. This is an interesting area worthy of further exploration, but we need further laboratory studies and clinical testing to conclusively determine whether methylglyoxal levels are directly related to cancer risk.
Interviewed by Dr Tayyaba Jiwani, Cancer Research UK’s scientific engagement manager, who was not involved in the study Medical News Today.
The researchers first studied the effects of methylglyoxal on cells from people who inherited a mutated copy of the BRCA2 gene, which increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
They found that methylglyoxal temporarily disables BRCA2’s tumor-suppressing effects, which may increase the likelihood of cancer.
Corresponding author Professor Ashok Venkitaraman from the National University of Singapore Cancer Research Center told us Medical News Today:
[M]Ethylglyoxal destroys the BRCA2 protein, reducing its concentration in cells. (It does not block expression of the BRCA2 gene.) This effect is temporary but can last long enough to inhibit BRCA2’s tumor-preventive function.
Methylglyoxal can damage DNA in cells with mutated forms of the BRCA2 gene. Repeated exposure to methylglyoxal increases the level of DNA damage.
Venkitaraman said there is good evidence that some people are at high risk of developing breast, ovarian, pancreatic or other cancers because they inherit faulty copies of the cancer-protecting gene BRCA2 from their parents.
Our recent findings suggest that the cells of these individuals are particularly sensitive to the effects of methylglyoxal, a chemical produced when our cells break down glucose to produce energy. He added that we found that methylglyoxal inhibits the tumor-preventive function of BRCA2, ultimately leading to defects in our DNA, which are early warning signs of cancer development.
Research shows that even individuals who are not genetically predisposed may be at higher risk of cancer if their levels of methylglyoxal are elevated. This condition is common in people with diabetes or prediabetes, conditions that are often associated with obesity or suboptimal diet and lifestyle habits.
Kelsey Costa, MS, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Dietitian Insights, who was not involved in the study, spoke with Medical News Today.
Costa explains how methylglyoxal produces this effect:
Methylglyoxal produces a complex group of compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which can accumulate in the body and lead to various health conditions, including diabetes and obesity. These AGEs are associated with increased oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are key factors in cancer development.
High levels of methylglyoxal are common in people with prediabetes and diabetes and can also be caused by obesity and poor diet.
Diabetes is a disease in which the body has difficulty controlling blood sugar (glucose) levels, so people with prediabetes/diabetes have higher than normal glucose levels. Venkitaraman tells us that some of this excess glucose is broken down by glycolysis, raising the levels of methylglyoxal motor neuronsalso explained:
A poor diet rich in sugar or refined carbohydrates is known to cause blood sugar spikes.
Venkitaraman cautions that because their work was conducted in cells rather than patients, it’s too early to make specific recommendations for reducing cancer risk based on their findings. However, he explains how their work may influence thinking about genes and cancer:
Our work also corrects long-held theories about certain cancer-protecting genes.This theory is called
Our latest findings show that methylglyoxal can temporarily deactivate such anti-cancer genes, suggesting that repeated episodes of poor diet or uncontrolled diabetes may increase cancer risk over time. He said.
Dr. Jiwani warns that more research is needed to confirm methylglyoxal’s role:
Research shows that exposing cancer cells in the laboratory to high concentrations of methylglyoxal temporarily depletes the tumor suppressor protein BRCA2, increasing the risk of DNA damage. But this by itself does not prove that these cells will continue to become cancerous. More research is needed to see whether these same effects occur in the more complex environments of our tissues, organs, and bodies, where metabolic reactions and byproducts are intricately regulated.
costa told motor neurons This study provides another reason to try following a healthy diet:
Diets high in unhealthy processed foods, red meat, added sugars, and refined grains, like the typical Western diet, may increase methylglyoxal due to metabolic dysfunction, thereby posing the risk for a variety of diseases, including Increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Typically, the best way to reduce methylglyoxal production and maintain metabolism, microbiome, and overall health is to eat a balanced, plant-based diet rich in dietary fiber and bioactive compounds with an emphasis on whole and minimally processed foods. , she suggested.
One diet often promoted to improve health is the Mediterranean diet, and now there is evidence that it may lower methylglyoxal levels, Costa said.
In fact, a Mediterranean diet was linked to lower blood levels of methylglyoxal in a recent study, which appears to help maintain kidney health in people with type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, she said.
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