Foods rich in linoleic acid can cause bowel cancer

When linoleic acid disintegrates in the body, it produces certain chemicals that cause inflammation in the bowel.

But the good news is that ulcerative colitis is not a common problem. So even if someone is at a high risk, he is unlikely to get the disease.

Study details
In order to determine the risk posed by linoleic acid, researchers took into account the diets of 2,03,000 people across Europe. These people were traced for almost four years to check if they developed ulcerative colitis.

It was found that only 126 got affected by ulcerative colitis. That means 1 person out of every 1600 got the disease.

The researchers discovered that people who consumed more linoleic acid were twice more likely to develop the dangerous condition as compared to those who consumed the least amount.

Though the study has been conducted, doctors are still unsure as to what is the exact cause of ulcerative colitis. They believe that apart from diet, the immune system might have a role to play.

Also, experts believe that only 30 percent of ulcerative colitis cases can be prevented if a person ate a diet low in linoleic acid. So a change in the diet might not exactly help in reducing the risk.

Ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a condition in which inflammation occurs in a person’s bowels. It increases the chances of bowel cancer.

The disease can hamper day-to-day activities and cause painful symptoms, like tiredness, diarrhea, and stomach pain.

If the situation goes out of hand then the infected person can also get eye problems, pain in the joints and a hole in the wall of the bowel.

Steroids or drugs are mostly used to treat ulcerative colitis but many people have to undergo surgery to remove the damaged portions of the bowel.

The latest study has been published in the journal Gut.