Benefits of cow: The untold damage to biodiversity may have affected the fragile habitat of the bovine population, but Indian scientists have found that cow ghee protects the liver from the harmful impact of cancer-causing agents or carcinogens

By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad, Oct 4: The untold damage to biodiversity may have affected
the fragile habitat of the bovine population, but Indian scientists
have found that cow ghee protects the liver from the harmful impact of
cancer-causing agents or carcinogens.

Cow ghee is both a detoxifying agent (removes carcinogens built up in
the body) as well as preventive in nature as far as liver cancer is
concerned, reveals a research study by scientists from the division of
animal biochemistry at the National Dairy Research Institute in
Karnal.

The team comprising Rita Rani and Vinod K Kansal experimented with
rats whether cow ghee protects them from liver cancer. They also used
soybean oil, which is known for its anti-cancer properties. The study
revealed that cow ghee performed better than soybean oil in terms of
protection of the liver from cancer-causing agents. Cow ghee also
protected rats from mammary (breast) cancer.

“Dietary cow ghee relative to soybean oil decreased the activities of
certain enzymes responsible for activation of carcinogen in liver. The
carcinogen detoxification activities of cow ghee in liver and mammary
glands were significantly higher than that of soybean oil,” the
researchers said. The study was published in the latest issue of the
journal of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Two groups of rats were fed with either soybean oil or cow ghee. At
the end of the study, the researchers noticed that dietary cow ghee
down regulated the enzyme activities responsible for carcinogen
activation in liver and up-regulated carcinogen detoxification
activities in liver and mammary tissues.

The modulation of cancer by nutritional variables has been a subject
of interest and controversy. Dietary fat has received considerable
attention as a possible risk factor in the aetiology of breast and
colon cancer. The second report by the World Cancer Research Fund and
the American Institute for Cancer Research indicates that food and
nutrition may affect the status of hormones that can modify breast
cancer risk. And the cow ghee has emerged victorious.