29. Diet and Colorectal Cancer Prevention

Diet and Colorectal Cancer Prevention

     Research shows that diet and exercise provide powerful protection against colorectal cancer according to a recent report by the American Institute of Cancer Research and the Scotland-based Worldwide Cancer Research.

     “This report demonstrates that there is a lot people can do to dramatically lower their risk" says Edward L Giovannucci, Professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.

      The report shows a clear relationship between eating whole grains daily and a reduction in colorectal cancer risk. The more you eat, the lower the risk. Eating three servings a day reduces the risk by a remarkable 17 percent; a useful addition to a 'Stop Cancer' diet!

   Evidence confirms the known fact that overweight and obesity adds noticeably to the risk not only to colorectal cancer but also to a plethora of other cancers, as does the lack of regular exercise.

     The report points to emerging evidence that a diet with fish, and fruit and non-starchy vegetables high in vitamin C help to provide cancer prevention. However it strengthens the link between colorectal cancer and over-consumption of red or processed meats.“

      As research continues to emerge for these factors, it all points to the power of a plant-based diet, says Alice Bender, AICR Director of Nutrition Programs.

     “Replacing some of your refined grains with whole grains and eating mostly plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables and beans, will give you a diet packed with cancer-protective compounds and help you manage your weight, which is so important to lower risk. 

     “When it comes to cancer there are no guarantees, but it’s clear now there are choices you can make and steps you can take to lower your risk of colorectal and other cancers,” she points out.

Ian MacWatt

Further Reading

     AICR eNews New colorectal cancer report

     AICR  Foods That Fight Cancer

     Diet and Lifestyle with CCT   Cancer Prevention through Diet

27. Cancer Prevention and Obesity

     

           With the passing of each month the importance of healthy diet, lifestyle and         exercise in Cancer Prevention becomes more evident.  Recent studies in USA           have shown that unhealthy lifestyle factors are responsible for over 70% of a           number of different Cancers diagnosed; cancers that could well have been                 prevented by an improved Stop Cancer diet, a healthy lifestyle and adequate             exercise.   

     We all know the danger of lung cancer from smoking, but most are ignorant of the risk of throat cancer from alcohol excess, or obesity .

     Recent World Health Organisation statistics for the EU show that 40-50% of men and 25-35% of women are overweight thanks to poor diet and sedentary habits, and some 50% of these are obese. In USA the figures are worse: 68% of adults are overweight and 33.8% obese.   In UK, one in five children aged 10 are now considered obese   Obesity is now a major causation factor or risk elevation for a considerable number of cancers. Indeed obesity looks set to overtake smoking as the major cause of cancer.                                                       

    The list of cancers that can be caused from obesity is daunting: cervical; colorectal; endometrial, (lining of the uterus); oesophagus, (gullet); hepatocellular, (subtype of liver cancer); gallbladder; kidney; malignant melanoma; post-menopausal breast cancer; non-Hodgkinson’s Lymphom, thyroid cancer.                      The present parlous state of the NHS in the UK, together with the US President’s desire to slash federal funding for Medicare, Medicaid and the US Institute of National Health, make the reduction of obesity ever more crucial in primary cancer prevention as well as in cancerous growth and metastasis, (development of secondary malignant tumour growths at a distance from a primary cancer site).         

     In addition to essential weight loss and a healthy lifestyle in cancer prevention, there are a number of plant-based foods that have nutrients, which appear in studies to have cancer-preventive properties as well as inhibiting cancer growth and metastasis. Unlike sugar, which feeds sucrose-loving cancer tumours, they help to starve and eliminate cancer cells and the growth of blood cells that tumours feed on. Their phytochemical interferes with the cellular communication that triggers inflammation and stimulates the emergence and progression of cancer tumours in the body.  In effect they become biological response modifiers, changing the way the body works.          

      While all the nutrients shown below can be taken as (sometimes expensive) supplements, they are present in the sort of fresh organic vegetables, fruits, fish and dairy products that can be found in healthy eating such as the Mediterranean Diet.

 Ursolic Acid.   Present in apples, basil, bilberries, cranberries, elderflower, peppermint, rosemary, lavender, oregano, thyme, hawthorn, prunes.

        Vitamin D.   Present in wild caught, (as opposed to farmed)  fatty fish   like salmon,             free range eggs, whole milk, Sunlight. Cooking reduces vitamin D by 30%.

        Curcumin.     Present in turmeric root.

           Sulforaphane.  Present in many cruciferous vegetables such as  cauliflower, brussels            sprouts, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, turnip, radish, watercress.

           Quercentin.   Present in onions, capers, blackberries, dark cherries, cocoa, kale,              apples.

           Apigenin.   Present in fresh grapefruit, onions, oranges, parsley, chamomile tea.

           Luteolin. Present in green peppers, celery, chamomile tea.

           Anthraquinones.  Present in rhubarb,

                                                                                                   Ian MacWatt                        

Further Reading

          The Association between obesity and cancer

          Frugal Chemoprevention