High intake of animal fat, oil raises risk of breast cancer: report

SEOUL, Feb. 17 (Yonhap) -- High intake of animal fat and vegetable oil have been
cited as contributing to a recent rise in breast cancer among South Korean women,
scientists said Tuesday.
Scientists from Seoul National University (SNU), the National Cancer Center and
Asan Medical Center said they have found that high levels of triglyceride (TG)
fat in the blood was related to breast cancer.
TG is a glycerol-fatty acid frequently found in various cooking oils, meat and
carbohydrates like rice and bread that accumulate under the skin when absorbed
into the body. It provides the body with energy, but excessive consumption has
been cited for bringing on heart disease, stroke and atherosclerosis.
Breast cancer has become a grave health threat to women nationwide, with the
number of cases detected rising from 5,744 in 1999 to 9,898 in 2005. In the past
South Korean women had lower incidence levels than those living in western
countries where the diet is more heavily composed of meat.
"The research conducted on data collected from 1,380 people, including 690 breast
cancer patients, showed cutting back on fatty food and eating more fruits and
vegetables can help reduce breast cancer risks," Yoo Keun-young, a professor of
preventative medicine at SNU said.
He added that TG levels explained why a growing number of relatively slim, young
women are being diagnosed as having breast cancer.
The professor, who led the research along with Kim Yeon-ju from the cancer
center, said extra attention should be paid as overall improvement in living
standards cause people to eat more protein per meal.
The report published in the latest issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and
Prevention also said that while TG raised the risk of cancer, high-density
lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol helped prevent the potentially fatal disease.
High levels of HDL-cholesterol in the blood, particularly among younger women
before menopause, helped "cleanse" harmful cholesterol from artery walls, it
said.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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