Giving young girls a diet high in processed foods could increase
their breast cancer risk when they’re older, according to
scientists. According to an article in the Daily Mail, a diet
rich in hydrogenated fats (often found in processed foods such
as biscuits and cakes) appears to boost harmful metabolic
changes and encourage abnormal breast cell growth in young
girls. This could increase their risk of developing breast
cancer when older. Findings from the US study, published in the
journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed
that when the fatty acid 10,12 CLA found in hydrogen fats was
given to newly weaned female mice, the development of their
mammary ducts was enhanced and a condition known as metabolic
syndrome appeared to increase as well. Metabolic syndrome is a
condition that has been linked the onset of heart disease,
obesity and diabetes in previous studies. According to the
researchers, in some mice this abnormal breast cell growth led
to breast cancer – and this growth was prese