Hold on to your plates, ancestral food enthusiasts! The latest scoop from the University of Chicago is turning upside down everything the mainstream has told us about red meat, steak, and butter.
Published in Nature, this research doesn’t just question the mainstream dietary advice; it tosses it out the window and brings forth a tantalizing possibility…
Could your favorite culinary delights actually pack a powerful punch against cancer?
By, Kelley Herring
TVA: The Little-Known Fatty Acid That Fights Cancer
In a fascinating study, researchers have uncovered a surprising new ally in the fight against cancer – trans-vaccenic acid (TVA), a long-chain fatty acid commonly found in beef and butter from grazing animals like cows and sheep.
This revelation challenges “conventional wisdom” and introduces a contrarian perspective on the vital role of animal-based nutrients in enhancing the body’s ability to combat cancer.
The study not only highlights the potential of TVA in bolstering the immune system but also suggests that patients with higher levels of this fatty acid in their bloodstream even respond better to immunotherapy.
Beef and Butter: Unsung Heroes for Cellular Health
In square opposition to the information on the alleged detrimental health effects of red meat and dairy, this study sheds light on the unique health-promoting properties of TVA.
Dr. Jing Chen spearheaded the research with a focus on understanding how specific nutrients can activate T-cell responses – a crucial aspect of the body’s immune system responsible for combating cancerous or infected cells.
Among the 700 known metabolites sourced from food, TVA emerged as the star performer. This fatty acid, found most abundantly in human milk, demonstrated its unparalleled power in reducing tumor growth as well as boosting the entry of CD8+ T cells into different types of tumors. CD8+ T cells – also known as cytotoxic T cells – play a crucial role in the immune system’s defense against infections and cancers. These specialized white blood cells are responsible for recognizing and eliminating cells that are infected with viruses or have become cancerous.
What’s more, because the body cannot produce TVA independently, this raises questions about how this unique metabolite, derived from savoring a delectable steak adorned with grass-fed butter, for example, just might be weaving its cancer-fighting wonders in your body behind the scenes.
Unraveling the Cancer-Fighting Mechanism
Delving a bit deeper into the molecular and genetic aspects, the researchers uncovered a fascinating process at work.
TVA was found to deactivate a unique receptor called GPR43. Like a pinball game, this deactivation then set off the CREB pathway – a key player in cellular growth, survival, and differentiation, indicating that TVA has the potential to flip the molecular switch to the “off” position on malignant cellular processes.
Dr. Chen notes:
“While there are growing concerns about the health effects of excessive red meat and dairy consumption, our focus on the potential benefits of specific nutrients challenges the status quo.”
This study, like many others, invites us to reconsider mainstream advice and explore the untapped potential of animal-based dietary components in the realm of cancer treatment and overall health.
It’s about time!
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Kelley Herring
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References
- Hao Fan, Siyuan Xia, Junhong Xiang, Yuancheng Li, Matthew O. Ross, Seon Ah Lim, Fan Yang, Jiayi Tu, Lishi Xie, Urszula Dougherty, Freya Q. Zhang, Zhong Zheng, Rukang Zhang, Rong Wu, Lei Dong, Rui Su, Xiufen Chen, Thomas Althaus, Peter A. Riedell, Patrick B. Jonker, Alexander Muir, Gregory B. Lesinski, Sarwish Rafiq, Madhav V. Dhodapkar, Wendy Stock, Olatoyosi Odenike, Anand A. Patel, Joseph Opferman, Takemasa Tsuji, Junko Matsuzaki, Hardik Shah, Brandon Faubert, Shannon E. Elf, Brian Layden, B. Marc Bissonnette, Yu-Ying He, Justin Kline, Hui Mao, Kunle Odunsi, Xue Gao, Hongbo Chi, Chuan He, Jing Chen. Trans-vaccenic acid reprograms CD8+ T cells and anti-tumor immunity. Nature, 2023.
- Trans-vaccenic Acid Reprograms CD8+ T Cells and Enhances Antitumor Immunity. Cancer Discov. 2023 Dec 8:OF1. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-RW2023-192. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38064352.
- Song J, Wang Y, Fan X, Wu H, Han J, Yang M, Lu L, Nie G. Trans-vaccenic acid inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via a mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathway. Lipids Health Dis. 2019 Feb 9;18(1):46. doi: 10.1186/s12944-019-0993-8. PMID: 30738430; PMCID: PMC6368753.
