Junk food diet linked to blood cell mutations

Jim Manson
2 Min Read

Scientists at Swansea University has shown that eating a constant diet of junk food damages red blood cells (RBCs), making them more likely to undergo cancer-linked mutations.

The scientists say it is the low level of antioxidants in a junk food diet that produces the damaged blood cells.

Dr Hasan Haboubi, a gastroenterologist and cancer researcher, told the Sunday Times: “We have found that life­style, and especially diet, is intimately linked to the health of our tiniest cells. If we have a bad diet it is rapidly reflected in the state of those cells.”

Haboubi and his colleagues made the discovery whilst trying to develop a blood test for cancer, following previous research showing that people with some types of cancer have a high RBC mutation rate. During the latest study Haboubi observed significant variations between healthy volunteers and that this seemed to correlate with their diet.

He told the newspaper: “People who consumed low levels of fruit and vegetables and, to a lesser extent, fish had more than double the mutation rate, said Haboubi, who described his findings at the British Science Festival in Swansea last week. “There was a very statistically significant relationship between diet and mutation rate. Purely by chance we may have found a biomarker for the quality of people’s diet.”

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Jim Manson is editor of Natural Newsdesk, former editor-in-chief of Natural Products Global (whose influence and audience grew steadily under his editorship) and former editor of Natural Products News, a position he held for 16 years. A regular speaker, presenter and awards host at conferences and trade shows in the UK and across Europe, he has also written for national newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, Financial Times, The Times and Time Out.
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