Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Our Blog on January 15, 2025
A study on cooking oils linked to cancer at the UCLA may have you checking your pantry and evaluating your culinary choices. This study found that certain cooking oils linked to cancer growth and others could play a role in slowing it.
Follow along to learn more about the type of cooking oils and the impact on cancer these scientists found. Specifically with prostate cancer – the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in American men.
An estimated 299,010 cases were diagnosed in 2024. Roughly 201,000 of them in the early stages of the disease. Could a change in diet help? Do the touted health benefits of certain oils stack up?
Follow along to explore the findings of this study. But first, lets talk about cooking oils.
Cooking oil is a staple in most households. Growing up, we had spray Pam (usually canola oil) to make surfaces non-stick and the big yellow bottle of vegetable oil for cornbread, brownies, and pan-frying chicken.
As time went on, more popular seed oils began making their way in the news, and subsequently shopping carts.
I remember when my mom switched to safflower oils, “because it is healthier.” Some tv doctor personality or talk show host talked about it, and households throughout the country gave it a try.
Pretty sure if I checked my mom’s pantry today, I would find vegetable oil or canola oil.
I, on the other hand, have an oil for everything.
Several olive oils for various applications. Some of which are flavored. Avocado, sesame (more as a condiment than anything), grapeseed, and coconut. From cooking to drizzling, to seasoning. I’ve got an oil for that.
But you know what. I still have the old reliable vegetable oil for when the need arises.
While I am sure I am missing some that have made their way into American kitchens, there are seven more common varieties. There is avocado oil, canola oil, coconut oil, olive oil, peanut oil, sunflower/safflower oil, and vegetable oil.
Avocado oil is high is monounsaturated fats. Health experts include this oil in the heart healthy category.
It has a bland flavor, making it ideal for baking applications. The “refined avocado oil” options have a high smoke point (520° F), making it an ideal oil for oven roasting vegetables. Unrefined avocado oil has a lower smoke point of 375° F.
This oil does come with a bit higher price tag than other oil options, but it is a great staple for the pantry.
Canola oil is low in saturated fats. It also can be heated to high temperatures (400 to 450° F) But it also has plenty of healthy omega-3 fats. While it has a milder flavor, it can become rancid as it ages. Skewing the more neutral flavor to something slightly fishy.
This is one of the more commonly used household oils.
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 10 years, I’m sure you’ve heard about the many applications of coconut oil. From cooking to skin care to even home health remedies.
This oil, however, has more saturated fats than most of the other plant oils included in this list. Despite the praised benefits of medium chain triglycerides, the amount of those actually accounts for a small percentage per serving.
Of the conventional oils, olive oil is a really good one. Extra-virgin olive oil contains those heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and contributing anti-inflammatory properties that have shown to lower LDL cholesterol.
Other versions of olive oil, like regular or light, have higher smoke points, but fewer antioxidants.
Peanut oil stands up to high heat. For this reason, it is commonly used in frying applications. This oil is made of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and is a good source of vitamin E and antioxidants.
Though it is still best if used in moderation.
These oils, like olive, have a few varieties. You have the regular (or traditional) sunflower and safflower oil. And then there is high oleic. The high oleic are healthier, as they contain mono and polyunsaturated fats.
The regular varieties should only be used every once in awhile due to the high omega-6 fatty acid content. An inflammatory trigger we will talk about from the study.
Corn, soybean, and other vegetables are included in this oil type. When an oil is labeled as “vegetable oil,” it usually contains a blend of several different oils. They generally do not have the healthy benefits of those containing monounsaturated fats. But they do have a higher smoke point, so they work well for stir baking, stir frying, and roasting.
Now that we know a bit about what each oil brings to the table, let’s talk about what the study found.
A year-long study involving 100 men in the early stages of prostate cancer were observed. Researchers split these participants into two groups.
One followed a diet that was low in omega-6 fats (those found in seed oils) and high in omega-3 fats (those found in fish)
The other group of men continued their usual Western diet.
Researchers looked for “tumor aggression markers” to determine the impact these diet variations had on potential cancer growth.
Significant results were observed.
The group of participants who modified their diets showed a 15% decrease in tumor aggression markers.
Those on the standard Western diet not only showed an increase, but a 24% increase in those same markers.
The findings identified in this study support the hypothesis that seed cooking oils contribute to cancer growth, while other more healthy oils contribute to reduction and may impact future cancer prevention and treatment plans.
“Our findings suggest that something as simple as adjusting your diet could potentially slow cancer growth and extend the time before more aggressive interventions are needed,” noted Dr. William Aronson, the study’s lead researcher and professor of urology at UCLA.
For many patients where cancer is identified in the early stages, active monitoring is considered before jumping to more invasive surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.
Instead, some doctors are opting for certain lifestyle changes. Namely, diet modifications.
“This significant difference suggests that the dietary changes may help slow cancer growth, potentially delaying or even preventing the need for more aggressive treatments,” said Dr. Aronson.
In addition to the positive results observed in the modified diet, other results imply a negative impact of certain seed-based cooking oils.
While the American Heart Association and other leading medical bodies continue to maintain that seed oils are safe and not linked to cancer, certain studies (including this one) provide contradicting data.
A recent study from the University of South Florida has linked seed oils to the rising number of colon cancer cases in young adults.
But why do these seed oils contribute to cancer growth?
It is all about inflammation.
Certain fats in seed oils can promote inflammation. It is this inflammation that promotes tumor growth.
Does this study mean you should purge your pantry of offending cancer-promoting oils?
If you are diagnosed with cancer or at higher risk of it, you can make certain choices that are best for you. Moderation and limiting certain oil types that promote inflammation and can aggravate an existing situation may be better options for most of your meals.
If you’d like to know more about food safety topics in the news, like “Certain Cooking Oils Linked to Cancer Growth in Western Diet, Says Scientists,” check out the Make Food Safe Blog. We regularly update trending topics, foodborne infections in the news, recalls, and more! Stay tuned for quality information to help keep your family safe, while The Lange Law Firm, PLLC strives to Make Food Safe!
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)