Nutrition & DietFish Oil Slashed Pancreatic Cancer Risk in Half While Olive Oil Fueled Tumor Growth
New Yale research published in Cancer Discovery reveals that the type of dietary fat — not just total fat intake — dramatically affects pancreatic cancer development. In mice predisposed to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), omega-3-rich fish oil fats cut disease development in half, while oleic acid, the primary fat in olive oil, accelerated tumor growth. Researchers tested 12 different high-fat diets with identical calorie counts, isolating individual fatty acids to pinpoint their effects. The findings challenge the long-held assumption that olive oil is universally protective and suggest that specific fat choices may be a meaningful lever in cancer prevention strategies for one of the deadliest cancers.
