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You can count on a healthy diet to help you resist many illnesses. But when it comes to colon cancer» it may not be that simple. Researchers
recently compared three diets to see what effect they had on colon cancer risk
in older women.
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Surprisingly, a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, fish and
poultry, whole grain breads, fruit juice, and low-fat dairy products was not protective.
Equally
unexpected, a typical western diet of processed and red meats, soda and sweets,
refined breads and potatoes, and high-fat dairy products did not increase the
risk.
But the
experts say not to give up on a healthy diet. Their study suggested it could
shield women under 50 from colon cancer. And a healthy diet affects you
indirectly no matter what your age. For example, obesity raises your chances of
getting colon cancer, and a nutritious diet can help you keep your weight down.
While you
may not find the perfect overall diet, previous studies have suggested certain
foods might help you dodge colon cancer.
Care for
your colon with curcumin. A love of Indian and Thai food may put you a step
ahead in preventing colon cancer. Turmeric, the spice that gives Thai dishes
their yellow color, contains curcumin. This antioxidant phytochemical not only
fights colon cancer, it battles breast and skin cancer.
Reduce risk
with rye. Have high-fiber veggies on whole-meal rye bread for a sandwich your
colon can appreciate. It's not clear exactly what role fiber plays in fighting cancer.
Recent studies have questioned whether it helps prevent colon cancer. But
research shows rye bread can improve your bowel movements and may lower the
concentration of some cancer-causing compounds in your colon.
Protect
yourself with legumes. A dish of black beans can be an outstanding addition to
your cancer-prevention diet. They are high in resistant starch, which passes
undigested through your stomach and small intestine. It then settles in your
colon where bacteria tackle it, producing butyrate, a fatty acid that helps
prevent cancer.
Trim the
threat with milk. If you are among those who drink the most milk, you may be
one of the least Iikely to get colon cancer. Researchers from Finland found this protective
effect in a 24-year study of more than 10,000 people. They think lactose, the
type of sugar found in milk, may encourage the growth of healthy bacteria that
block the development of cancer.
Other dairy
products may not be as helpful, though. In this study, cheese and buttermilk
seemed to raise the risk of colon cancer although scientists aren't quite sure
why. And eating butter raised the risk of rectal cancer slightly.
Studies from
around the world find plain cabbage and its fancier cousins, Chinese cabbage
and Brussels sprouts, guard you from not only colon cancer, but breast,
bladder, brain, lung, and stomach cancers as well.
Other
studies find olive oil, popular in southern European countries where people
tend to have a lower rate of colon cancer, a protector. Still others find
safflower oil a risk.
Research continues
on these and other foods that may help you fight colon cancer. Meanwhile, stick
to your healthy diet for a better chance of defeating any disease, including cancer.
Keys to
locking out colon cancer
Being
overweight raises your risk for colon cancer, but exercising regularly will cut
your risk. So say researchers at the University
of Arizona, who have
uncovered a specific compound in your colon that boosts cancer risk — but is
lowered by exercise.
Their study
shows if you are overweight and inactive you are more likely to have high levels
of a compound called prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). But exercise lowers the amount of
this substance in your sys-tem. In the study, previously inactive participants
who took a 30-minute jog or a 60-minute walk each day lowered their PGE2 by 28
percent.
Researchers
think the PGE2 level may indirectly play a role in colon cancer by stimulating
your body to make insulin. Lab studies have shown that insulin affects the
growth of colon cancer cells. So by keeping your weight down, you may avoid
colon cancer along with many other obesity-related diseases.
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