What foods or what diet should I follow to prevent colorectal cancer from occurring? Are there any foods that actually cause colorectal cancer?
There are no foods that cause colorectal cancer. However, studies of different populations have identified associations that may affect your risk of developing colorectal cancer, or the precancerous lesions called polyps. There appears to be a slightly increased risk of developing colorectal cancer in countries with higher red meat or non-dairy (meat-associated) fat intake. For example, the U.S. and Canada have much higher rates of colorectal cancer than countries like Japan or Nigeria, and this correlates to meat and fat consumption. Similarly, there has been an association with decreased rates of colorectal cancer and increased fiber intake. Recent studies have questioned this association, but in general we recommend a diet high in vegetable fiber and low in fat and moderate to low in red meat. Finally, calcium and folic acid appear to have protective effects in the colon. There remain many unanswered questions in this area. No matter what your dietary intake is, don’t forget to ask
There are no foods that cause colorectal cancer. However, studies of different populations have identified associations that may affect your risk of developing colon cancer or the precancerous lesions called polyps. There appears to be a slightly increased risk of developing colorectal cancer in countries with higher red meat or non-dairy (meat-associated) fat intake. For example, the United States and Canada have much higher rates of colorectal cancer than countries like Japan or Nigeria, where meat and fat consumption are lower. Similarly, there has been an association with decreased rates of colorectal cancer and increased fiber intake. Recent studies have questioned this association, but, in general, we recommend a diet high in vegetable fiber, low in fat and moderate to low in red meat. Finally, calcium and, perhaps, folic acid appear to have protective effects in the colon. There remain many unanswered questions in this area. No matter what your dietary intake is, remember to ask
There are no foods that cause colorectal cancer. However, studies of different populations have identified associations that may affect your risk of developing colorectal cancer, or the precancerous lesions called polyps. There appears to be a slightly increased risk of developing colorectal cancer in countries with higher red meat or non-dairy (meat-associated) fat intake. For example, the U.S. and Canada have much higher rates of colorectal cancer than countries like Japan or Nigeria, and this correlates to meat and fat consumption. Similarly, there has been an association with decreased rates of colorectal cancer and increased fiber intake. Recent studies have questioned this association, but in general we recommend a diet high in vegetable fiber and low in fat and moderate to low in red meat. Finally, calcium and folic acid appear to have protective effects in the colon. There remain many unanswered questions in this area.
