Cold environment inhibits tumor growth

According to a study published in the journal Nature, studies in mice found that the cold environment helped suppress tumor growth . The researchers demonstrated that mice living at 4 degrees Celsius had suppressed tumor growth compared to normal temperatures, an effect that also applies to other cancer types. Low temperatures not only have an effect on cancer on the surface of the skin, but also on liver cancer deep inside the body. The cause is thought to be related to activation of brown adipose tissue that produces body heat. Brown adipose tissue absorbs a lot of glucose, and glucose is oxidized to release heat, which is consumed as body heat, and not much ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is produced. On the other hand, tumor tissue requires a large amount of ATP to meet its high energy demands. The effect of cold is to limit the energy uptake of the tumor tissue, thus inhibiting its growth. The researchers also found that in humans, 22 degrees Celsius was sufficient to activate brown adipose tissue, causing a significant drop in glucose uptake in tumor tissue. But for mice, 22 degrees Celsius was not cold enough to have an effect. So humans don’t need to live at 4 degrees Celsius. The researchers point out that this cancer treatment is super simple and can be done at home.

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