Enhancement of Colonic Carcinogenesis by Dietary Fat: Role of Essential, Oxidized, Polyunsaturated and Saturated Fatty Acids

Abstract

The major factor affecting the development of intestinal carcinogenesis in both animals and man appears to be environmental in origin. Clearly, the major environmental factor affecting the colon is the diet and the most important tumor enhancing component of the diet appears to be the type and level of fat (1). There have been numerous studies investigating the relationship between the risk of colon tumor formation and the fat content of the diet. A majority, but certainly not all, studies in animals have suggested that animals consuming high levels of dietary fat develop more tumors than animals consuming lower levels of fat. More recently it has been shown that the particular fatty acid content of the dietary fat is often as important as the total amount of fat (2). The present paper will examine a few selected mechanisms by which dietary fat could enhance intestinal tumorigenesis.