High Intake of Trans-Fatty Acids Increases Breast Cancer Risk
Posted on 23 April, 2008

Women with a diet high in trans-monounsaturaed fatty acids (MUFA) palmitoleic & elaidic acids face an increased risk for developing breast cancer, a large cohort study has found.

French researchers assessed the association between serum phospholipid fatty acids as biomarker of fatty acid intake and breast cancer risk among women in the E3N Study (1989-2002), the French component of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer & Nutrition. They found that an increased risk of breast cancer was associated with increasing levels of the trans-monounsaturated fatty acids palmitoleic acid and elaidic acid. cis-monounsaturated fatty acids were unrelated to breast cancer.

A high serum level of trans-monounsaturated fatty acids, presumably reflecting a high intake of industrially processed foods, is probably one factor contributing to increased risk of invasive breast cancer in women.