Thicker waistline may up cancer risk |
The belly fat can put one at increased risk of cancer, say scientists including one of Indian-origin, who have found that a protein released from fat in the body can turn cells cancerous.It is well established that obesity is a contributor to cancer risk, but how it actually causes cancer is still a question that has not been fully explained. Researchers from the Michigan State University (MSU) in the US offer new details showing that a certain protein released from fat in the body can cause a non-cancerous cell to turn into a cancerous one.It also found that a lower layer of abdominal fat, when compared to fat just under the skin, is the more likely culprit, releasing even more of this protein and encouraging tumor growth. Obesity has been linked to several types of cancers including breast, colon, prostate, uterine and kidney, but Bernard indicated that just being overweight is not necessarily the best way to determine risk.It is abdominal obesity, and even more specifically, levels of a protein called fibroblast growth factor-2 that may be a better indicator of the risk of cells becoming cancerous," she said. There are two layers of belly fat. The top layer, known as subcutaneous fat, lies right under the skin. The layer under that, called visceral fat, is the one she found to be more harmful.
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