Researchers investigate why obesity can trigger bowel cancer
“Excess calories ‘turn off a hormone in the intestine that blocks colon cancer’,” the Mail Online reports. Obesity is a known risk factor for bowel cancer (also known as colorectal cancer). There is evidence that a diet rich in processed meats, which contain the potentially cacogenic compound nitrates, increases bowel cancer risk. However, it is unclear why other high-calorie diets also increase risk. This latest study, conducted in genetically engineered mice, found that obesity caused by a diet rich in fats or carbohydrates “silenced” a hormone called guanylin. This, in turn, led…
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