A brand new examine analyzing food regimen, common plasma sugar ranges and most cancers prevalence in some 273 vertebrate species confirmed stunning outcomes. The examine discovered no important hyperlink between food regimen and plasma sugar ranges throughout nonhuman vertebrate species, suggesting that glucose regulation is probably going influenced extra by evolutionary and physiological diversifications than food regimen alone. Birds particularly didn’t undergo elevated most cancers charges in contrast with mammals and reptiles, regardless of having larger blood glucose ranges, that are related to elevated most cancers danger in different animals, together with people. Credit score: Jason Drees / ASU
Researchers have lengthy identified that food regimen exerts a profound affect on well being, together with the danger of growing most cancers. A brand new examine, led by researchers at Arizona State College, explores the connection amongst food regimen, blood sugar (particularly glucose) and most cancers prevalence throughout a broad vary of vertebrate species.
Surprisingly, the examine discovered that birds, regardless of having considerably larger blood sugar ranges and dwelling longer than equally sized mammals and reptiles, have decrease most cancers prevalence. It additionally revealed that major carnivores—animals that primarily eat different vertebrates—are extra susceptible to tumors than herbivores, notably when domestication is taken into account.
The findings, printed within the journal Nature Communications, problem current assumptions and recommend that some species have advanced pure organic defenses in opposition to most cancers. These defenses—comparable to metabolic diversifications and mobile protecting mechanisms—may encourage new approaches to most cancers prevention and remedy in people.
“We knew that birds get less cancer than mammals, and they also have very high levels of glucose in their blood. That made us wonder if there was some connection,” examine co-author Carlo Maley stated.
Maley is a researcher with the Biodesign Heart for Biocomputing, Safety and Society, a professor with the Faculty of Life Sciences and director of the Arizona Most cancers Evolution Heart.
He’s joined by ASU colleagues, together with corresponding creator Stefania Kapsetaki and Karen Sweazea, with ASU’s School of Well being Options, the Biodesign Heart for Well being By means of Microbiomes and the Heart for Evolution and Drugs.
Birds break the sample
The examine examined information from as much as 273 vertebrate species, analyzing their diets, common plasma sugar ranges and most cancers prevalence. A key discovering was that birds, regardless of their excessive blood sugar, have decrease most cancers charges than mammals and reptiles.
This was sudden as a result of in people and lots of different animals, excessive blood sugar is commonly linked to elevated most cancers danger. Nevertheless, the examine discovered that the hyperlink between plasma sugar ranges and most cancers prevalence didn’t maintain constantly throughout all vertebrates. As an alternative, the pattern was pushed by broad variations amongst main teams—birds, mammals and reptiles. When researchers examined every group individually, they discovered no clear relationship between plasma sugar ranges and most cancers charges inside these teams.
This means that birds could have advanced distinctive organic mechanisms that shield them from most cancers regardless of excessive blood sugar ranges—mechanisms absent in mammals and reptiles. Understanding these diversifications may provide useful insights into most cancers resistance.
“Future studies investigating the evolutionary history and mechanisms linking diet, plasma glucose levels and cancer prevalence across vertebrates would provide further clues about the observed diversity among species and inform strategies for more effective cancer prevention and treatment across vertebrates,” Kapsetaki stated.
The function of food regimen
The researchers additionally investigated whether or not food regimen influences plasma sugar ranges and most cancers prevalence. Whereas earlier research recommended that carnivores have the next most cancers danger than herbivores, this examine throughout nonhuman vertebrates examined food regimen classes in better element, contemplating elements just like the proportion of fruit, crops, invertebrates and vertebrate meat in an animal’s food regimen.
The examine discovered no statistically important hyperlink between food regimen and plasma sugar ranges throughout nonhuman vertebrate species, suggesting that glucose regulation is probably going influenced extra by evolutionary and physiological diversifications than food regimen alone. Whereas food regimen impacts blood sugar ranges in people and another species, it doesn’t seem like a common rule throughout vertebrates.
One clarification is that completely different species have advanced distinct mechanisms to handle blood sugar, no matter food regimen. For instance, birds preserve excessive blood sugar regardless of various diets, starting from nectar-rich to meat-based. Equally, some carnivorous mammals have secure blood sugar ranges regardless of protein-heavy diets, whereas sure herbivores present variability unrelated to their plant-based meals consumption.
“The lack of an overall connection between diet and blood sugar in the species examined in this study suggests that these animals are largely consuming foods designed for them as their diet was not manipulated for the study,” Sweazea stated. “Even when our lab fed the birds diets high in fat or sugar, which are known to increase blood sugar and cancer risk in humans, the birds showed no changes in their blood sugar response. They are remarkably resilient animals.”
Though food regimen doesn’t strongly affect blood sugar ranges throughout species, it could nonetheless play a job in most cancers danger. The examine discovered that major carnivores had the next tumor prevalence than herbivores. One potential clarification is that dangerous compounds accumulate within the meals chain, making vertebrate meat consumption a possible danger for tumor growth.
As well as, the researchers discovered that domesticated species are likely to have the next most cancers prevalence, probably attributable to lowered genetic range and weaker evolutionary pressures. This means that pure choice could assist restrict most cancers in wild populations. Nevertheless, whereas the examine highlights patterns throughout species, it doesn’t recommend that consuming domesticated animals particularly will increase most cancers danger in people.
Implications for human well being
Though this examine targeted on nonhuman species, its findings could provide new insights into stopping most cancers in individuals. In contrast to birds—which appear to have advanced pure defenses in opposition to most cancers regardless of excessive blood sugar ranges—people and different mammals don’t present the identical resistance.
The researchers suggest that birds could have advanced distinctive most cancers defenses, probably associated to their excessive metabolic charge, reliance on fats metabolism over glucose, and mobile diversifications that restrict oxidative injury. Understanding these diversifications may present useful insights into how species evolve pure most cancers defenses.
For now, one of the best recommendation for people stays in keeping with public well being suggestions: Eat a balanced food regimen, keep away from extreme processed and purple meat, and handle blood sugar via a wholesome life-style, together with common train. Nevertheless, scientists will proceed investigating whether or not nature’s cancer-resistant species can provide new options within the struggle in opposition to the illness.
Extra data:
Stefania E. Kapsetaki et al, The connection between food regimen, plasma glucose, and most cancers prevalence throughout vertebrates, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57344-1
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Arizona State College
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