Canola oil diet can reduce risk of cancer

Source: Agencies  |   2008-11-20  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

REPLACING corn oil with canola oil may lower cancer risk not only for women, but for their unborn babies, researchers in United States reported on Tuesday.

They found that mice fed canola oil while pregnant were less likely to develop breast cancer ?? and so were their unborn pups ?? than mice fed corn oil. The findings are likely because of omega 6 fatty acids, the researchers told a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. Some research has linked high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids to health problems including cancer.

Fifty percent of the fatty acids in corn oil are omega 6, while just 20 percent of the fatty acids in canola oil are. And canola oil is much richer than corn oil in omega 3 fatty acids, which are linked with heart and cancer benefits.

"By seeing a delay in their cancer development, we can hope that translates into a delay in cancer development in humans, too," Elaine Hardman of the Marshall University School of Medicine said.