Chicago: A new study suggests that a compound found in red meat (beef or goat) and dairy products may help protect the body against cancer.
Scientists have discovered trans-vaccinic acid (TVA, a fatty acid) in beef and lamb meat and dairy products that improves the ability of immune cells to fight tumors.
The study also found that patients with higher levels of TVA in their blood responded better to immunotherapy, meaning the compound could be used as a dietary supplement for cancer treatment. can go.
According to Jing Chen, a professor at the University of Chicago in the US, there are many studies that have tried to understand the relationship between diet and human health, and it has been difficult to understand the underlying mechanisms that cause eating a variety of foods. But if researchers focus only on dietary components and metabolites, they can see how they affect physiology and pathology.
By focusing on components that can activate T-cell responses, researchers have found a component that enhances anti-tumor immunity by activating key immune pathways, he said.
The researchers began the study with a database of about 700 known metabolites (small molecules released from food) and looked at the anti-cancer potential of these metabolites.
After selecting the six most effective compounds, the scientists tested their cancer-fighting abilities on human and mouse cells, with TVA showing the best performance against tumor formation.