Popular cooking oils used in highly processed Western diets could be leading to a rise in colon cancer cases, a new study conducted by the US government has shown.

Unhealthy seed oils such as sunflower, grapeseed, canola and corn oil can trigger chronic inflammation in the body, the groundbreaking study found.

To date, there has been no conclusive evidence linking cooking oil to colon cancer.

But the recent American study identified seed oils as a possible factor when it examined tumors from more than 80 people with colon cancer between the ages of 30 and 85.

According to the study published in the Gut Journal, the tumors showed increased levels of bioactive lipids, which are small oily molecules created when the body metabolizes seed oils, compared to healthier fats.

Bioactive lipids not only increase inflammation, but also hinder the body’s natural healing process and promote tumor growth.

Oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids, found in avocados and olives, are a healthier alternative, the researchers said.

The renowned doctor and scientist Dr. Timothy Yeatman said the findings highlight the urgent need to reevaluate parts of the Western diet, including added sugars, saturated fats, highly processed foods, chemicals and inflammatory seed oils.

“It is known that inflammation in the body increases in patients with an unhealthy diet,” said Dr. Yeatman, who is also the associate center director for translational research and innovation at the TGH Cancer Institute.

“We’re now seeing this inflammation in the colon tumors themselves, and cancer is like a chronic wound that doesn’t heal – if your body lives on highly processed foods every day, its ability to heal that wound decreases due to the inflammatory suppression of the immune system , which ultimately allows the cancer to grow.”

However, leading US health institutions have made it clear that consuming moderate amounts of seed oils as part of a balanced diet has not been proven to cause cancer.