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Tag: colon cancer

Published on Leave a comment on Ultra-Processed Foods and Colon Polyps

Ultra-processed foods are linked to many health harms, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. A recent large study of women found that they are also linked to colon adenomas (polyps) - which are precursors to colorectal cancer. The more ultra-processed foods in the diet, the higher the risk of polyps (adenomas).

There was a 45% greater risk of polyps in the group eating the most ultra-processed foods (about 10 servings per day), when compared to those eating the fewest ultra-processed foods (about 3 servings per day).

The researchers point out that the rise in the rates of colorectal cancer has occurred with the rise of ultra-processed food consumption. Currently, more than 50% of the diet of Americans consists of ultra-processed foods.

Other researchers suggest that there may be other contributing factors to the rise in colorectal cancer, such as low fiber in the diet (typical Western diet), and microplastics in the environment, which are found in our food, water, and beverages.

Bottom line: Eat a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. This will increase the amount of fiber in your diet, and lower your intake of ultra-processed foods. Read ingredient labels and if there is something that normally is not found in a person's kitchen, then it is ultra-processed.

Examples of ingredients found in ultra-processed foods: emulsifiers, carrageenan, mono- and diglycerides, soy lecithin, polysorbate, cellulose, colors, titanium dioxide, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, dextrose, whey protein, nitrates, artificial flavors, natural flavors, colors, etc.

From Medical Xpress: Ultra-processed foods tied to higher rates of early-onset colorectal cancer precursors in adults

Colorectal cancer used to be associated with old age, but diagnoses have become increasingly common in adults aged 50 or younger particularly in high-income countries like the United States. The reason for this trend is unclear, but a new study led by Mass General Brigham researchers, as part of the Cancer Grand Challenges PROSPECT team, suggests an important link to ultra-processed foods that merits closer investigation. ...continue reading "Ultra-Processed Foods and Colon Polyps"

Published on Leave a comment on Dairy Products and A Lower Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Many people (even health professionals) are still under the impression that dairy products made from milk are unhealthy. NOT TRUE. Consuming dairy products, especially whole milk products, is associated with a number of health benefits.

Recent research adds to the growing body of research finding that higher intake of dairy products is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer (commonly referred to as colon cancer). One big review found a 20% decrease in colon cancer with higher dairy product consumption, and an 18% decrease in colon cancer specifically with higher milk consumption.

The researchers discussed studies that found that with each 400 g (about 1 3/4 cups) of dairy foods that people consumed daily, there was a 13% reduced risk of colorectal cancer.

It's more than the calcium found in the dairy products (there is research already finding that calcium in foods is associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer). And it's more than dairy products that are fermented (e.g., yogurts). It's high fat milk products (whole milk) that have the highest association. But currently it's unclear why.

Excerpts from Medscape: Does Higher Dairy Intake Reduce CRC Risk?

Two recent studies have added to the growing body of research suggesting consuming more dairy reduces a person’s risk of getting colorectal cancer. ...continue reading "Dairy Products and A Lower Risk of Colorectal Cancer"

Published on Leave a comment on Walnuts, Gut Microbes, and Lower Levels of Inflammation
Credit: Wikipedia

Nowadays, the scientific view is to eat some nuts frequently for all sorts of health benefits. Recently, a study found that eating walnuts helps to lowers systemic inflammation (inflammation throughout the body), and in doing so reduces colon cancer risk.

The researchers said that the beneficial health effects are from ellagitannins, plant-derived polyphenol compounds, found in walnuts and pecans. Gut microbes convert the ellagitannins into anti-inflammatory urolithins.

Ellagitannins are also found in pomegranates, some berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cloudberries), and muscadine grapes. They are mainly metabolized by microbes in the colon. The consumption of foods containing ellagitannins has been associated with positive effects on many diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative syndromes, and cancer). Ellagitannins are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cancer preventive.

From Medical Xpress: Walnut consumption curbs inflammation and may reduce colon cancer risk, clinical trial finds

There are new findings out about the benefits of eating walnuts. Results from a UConn School of Medicine clinical trial on the cover of the April edition of the journal Cancer Prevention Research show that walnuts improve systemic inflammation while also reducing colon cancer risk. ...continue reading "Walnuts, Gut Microbes, and Lower Levels of Inflammation"

Published on Leave a comment on Eating Yogurt Associated With A Lower Risk For Some Colorectal Cancers
Yogurt Credit: Wikipedia

Some foods are considered good for the gut microbiome. Yogurt, which is loaded with beneficial bacteria, is one of them. A recent study found that eating yogurt two or more times a week for long periods of time (years!) is associated with a lower risk for several types of colorectal cancer.

However, it must be noted that the study found that eating yogurt, whether frequently or not, did NOT have an association with overall colorectal cancer incidence. It was just with colon cancer that had Bifidobacterium-positive tumors (31% of colon cancers in this study). Persons eating 2 or more yogurts per week had a 20% lower incidence of Bifidobacterium-positive tumors.

Yogurt contains Bifidobacterium bacteria, a bacteria that is considered tumor-suppressive. By the way, all fermented dairy products (e.g., kefir, buttermilk, cheese) have long been viewed as beneficial to health, and they all contain a variety of microbes, including Lactobacillus species.

From Science Daily: Long-term yogurt consumption tied to decreased incidence of certain types of colorectal cancer

Yogurt, which contains live strains of bacteria, is thought to protect against many types of diseases, with some reports indicating it could reduce risk of colorectal cancer. ...continue reading "Eating Yogurt Associated With A Lower Risk For Some Colorectal Cancers"

Published on Leave a comment on Aspirin and Lower Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Studies on aspirin keep coming. For decades, studies found that persons taking aspirin frequently have a lowered risk of developing colorectal (colon) cancer, and that they are less likely to die if they do develop colorectal cancer. A recent study confirmed these aspirin findings and looked at what is occurring.

Aspirin appears to boost or activate the immune system, which helps explain its protective effect in colorectal cancer. Clinical trials are going on now to test whether and how aspirin can be part of colorectal cancer treatment.

From Medscape: How Aspirin May Lower Risk for Colorectal Cancer

A 2020 meta-analysis, for instance, found that 325 mg of daily aspirin — the typical dose in a single tablet — conferred a 35% reduced risk of developing CRC, and a highly cited The Lancet study from 2010 found that a low dose of daily aspirin reduced the incidence of colon cancer by 24% and colon cancer deaths by 35% over 20 years.

The evidence surrounding aspirin and CRC is so intriguing that more than 70,000 people are currently participating in more than 2 dozen clinical studies worldwide, putting aspirin through its paces as an intervention in CRC.

But what, exactly, is aspirin doing?

...continue reading "Aspirin and Lower Risk of Colorectal Cancer"

Published on Leave a comment on A Specific Bacteria and Colorectal Cancer
Credit: Wikipedia

Cancer tumors have a different microbiome (community of microbes) than healthy tissue. Researchers have been finding the bacteria Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) in a number of cancers, with high levels of its presence associated with a poorer outcome for the person (more metastases and death).

A recent study found that one strain or subtype of  F. nucleatum (called Fna C2)  is found in tumors of about 50% of aggressive colon cancers.

Interestingly, F. nucleatum is a normal oral bacteria - one found in the mouth of people, and also associated with periodontal disease. It is rarely found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of healthy persons.

It is thought that the bacteria somehow travels from the mouth to the stomach, where it can withstand stomach acid, and then grows there in the gastrointestinal tract. F. nucleatum is cancer promoting - for example, it has a supporting role in tumor progression. It appears to be resistant to cancer treatments.

Researchers are now wondering if certain beneficial or good bacteria ingested by the person or somehow delivered to the tumor site  can battle the F. nucleatum, perhaps as part of cancer therapy. Stay tuned....

From Science Daily: Bacteria subtype linked to growth in up to 50% of human colorectal cancers

Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center have found that a specific subtype of a microbe commonly found in the mouth is able to travel to the gut and grow within colorectal cancer tumors. This microbe is also a culprit for driving cancer progression and leads to poorer patient outcomes after cancer treatment. ...continue reading "A Specific Bacteria and Colorectal Cancer"

Published on Leave a comment on Pesticides and Colon Cancer?

Something to think about: a group of international researchers found a correlation in Brazil between colon cancer and pesticides.

Brazil is one of the largest pesticide users in the world, and annual pesticide use is still increasing - along with increases in colon cancer and colon cancer deaths, especially in agricultural areas. While the study was correlational (didn't prove that pesticides caused the cancer) - what supports the findings is that some other studies in both humans and rodents found that pesticides increase the risk of colon cancer. Many pesticides are considered carcinogenic (cancer-causing).

The researchers pointed out that pesticides are contaminating water and food in Brazil, pesticide residues have been found in breast milk, pesticide residues in cow's milk exceed safety standards in some regions of Brazil, and 20% of food samples analyzed by one government agency between 2013 and 2015 were found to be unsafe for humans to eat due to high pesticide residue levels. One reason for recent  big increases in pesticide used is from genetically modified crops - so that they are resistant to pesticides (herbicides) applied.

Does all this sound familiar? It should - many of the same problems are occurring in the US, with pesticides found in water and food samples, in house dust, with steep increases in certain pesticides used due to their use on crops that are genetically modified to be resistant to pesticides (esp. glyphosate, 2,4-D), and pesticides are found in people (can be measured in blood, urine) - with levels of certain pesticides increasing (e.g. glyphosate).

Think of how casually people use pesticides - on their lawns, gardens, and in their homes. The bottom line is: what are we doing to ourselves with chronic low-level pesticide exposures? And it's not just one pesticide, it's many (so we're actually exposed to mixtures). [See posts on pesticides.]

Excerpts from Beyond Pesticides: Brazilian Researchers Link Rise In Colon Cancer To Increase In Pesticide Use    ...continue reading "Pesticides and Colon Cancer?"

Published on Leave a comment on How to Decrease the Risk of Colorectal Cancer

A major new report about colorectal cancer found that a number of lifestyle factors (diet, physical activity) increase or lower the risk of colorectal cancer. The report was an analysis of global research studies and was published by the American Institute for Cancer Research and World Cancer Research Fund.

They found that there is strong evidence that: being physically active, consuming whole grains, consuming foods containing dietary fiber, consuming dairy products, and taking calcium supplements all decrease the risk of colorectal cancer. On the other hand, there is strong evidence that: consuming red meat, consuming processed meat, consuming 2 or more alcoholic drinks per day, being overweight or obese, and being tall all increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

Also, that there is some evidence that: consuming foods containing vitamin C, consuming fish, vitamin D, consuming multivitamin supplements lower the risk of colorectal cancer. And there is some evidence that: low consumption on non-starch vegetables, low consumption of fruit, and consumption of foods containing haem iron might increase the risk of colorectal cancer. [NOTE: There are 2 types of iron in food: haem and non-haem iron. Haem iron is only found in meat, chicken, and fish, and is easily absorbed. Non-haem iron is found in plant foods, such as vegetables, cereals, beans, and lentils, but is not absorbed as well by the body.]

Finally, their cancer prevention recommendations for preventing cancer in general include: maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active and eating a healthy diet. (other posts on this - here, here, here). They also advise eating a healthy diet (think Mediterranean style diet) rather than relying on supplements to protect against cancer. The report also noted that inflammatory bowel disease and smoking increase the risk of colorectal cancer. From Science Daily:

Whole grains decrease colorectal cancer risk, processed meats increase the risk

Eating whole grains daily, such as brown rice or whole-wheat bread, reduces colorectal cancer risk, with the more you eat the lower the risk, finds a new report by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). This is the first time AICR/WCRF research links whole grains independently to lower cancer risk. Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Colorectal Cancer also found that hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats consumed regularly increase the risk of this cancer. There was strong evidence that physical activity protects against colon cancer.

The new report evaluated the scientific research worldwide on how diet, weight and physical activity affect colorectal cancer risk. The report analyzed 99 studies, including data on 29 million people, of whom over a quarter of a million were diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Other factors found to increase colorectal cancer include:  - Eating high amounts of red meat (above 500 grams cooked weight a week), such as beef or pork, - Being overweight or obese, - Consuming two or more daily alcoholic drinks (30 grams of alcohol), such as wine or beer. The report concluded that eating approximately three servings (90 grams) of whole grains daily reduces the risk of colorectal cancer by 17 percent. It adds to previous evidence showing that foods containing fiber decreases the risk of this cancer.

In the US, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer among both men and women, with an estimated 371 cases diagnosed each day. AICR estimates that 47 percent of US colorectal cancer cases could be prevented each year through healthy lifestyle changes. [The report.]

Published on Leave a comment on Is It Possible That Eating Nuts May Prevent Colon Cancer Recurrence?

Amazing study results - if true - about some health benefits of eating nuts. Just tree nuts, not peanuts (which are actually a legume). Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston found that colon cancer survivors who ate at least two ounces (57 grams) of tree nuts a week were 42% less likely to have their cancer return or a 53% lower chance of dying from their cancer than those who did not eat nuts. One ounce or a handful of nuts is considered a serving, but two ounces of nuts is about 48 almonds, or 36 cashews, or 96 shelled pistachios, or 38 pecan halves, or 28 walnut halves, or 42 hazelnuts.

The benefits of eating tree nuts was so surprising and so big, that the researchers caution that the study needs to be repeated (and improved) to make sure. The problem is that the study was observational, and so can't say a definite cause and effect. Perhaps people eating the tree nuts may also be doing some other protective behavior - thus there is just an association. So can't say for sure, but....the studies are adding up that eating nuts is linked with all sorts of health benefits. From STAT:

Can cashews keep colon cancer patients alive? Study says yes — but cautions abound

Surprising new research scheduled to be unveiled at a major cancer meeting next month suggests that cashews and other tree nuts might be as effective as some of oncology’s most effective treatments at keeping colon cancer from recurring after treatment — and even keeping patients from dying. If the benefit is real, a daily handful or two of cashews (cost: less than $1) could work as well as standard chemotherapy (cost: thousands of dollars). But the reported benefit comes with a big “if.”

Although the study is from a respected clinical trial, this finding was not from the original research but, instead, an add-on. The original trial randomly assigned colon cancer patients to either of two drug treatments. Later, researchers looked at cancer survivors who simply went about their lives, doing as they pleased, and tried to evaluate whether eating nuts was associated with better outcomes.In that kind of observational study, it’s not possible to say whether a given behavior — in this case, eating nuts — caused an outcome, or was instead simply associated with the true cause.

Even the study’s lead author was cautious. “This is the first study to show an association between nut consumption and cancer outcomes,” said Dr. Temidayo Fadelu of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “When you see an association that is more dramatic than you expect, you have to repeat [the study] in another [group of patients]. … There could be underlying confounders that we didn’t control for.” In other words, people who eat tree nuts, such as pecans, almonds, and walnuts, might be different from people who do not, something called “healthy patient bias.” They “might be more health-conscious,” said Shah. They might be wealthier, or better connected to the health care system, or have healthier habits in general. Any of those attributes might help patients survive colon cancer.

The researchers did not find an association with eating peanuts. Only tree nuts seemed to matter, to an eye-popping degree. Of 826 patients, those who reported having two or more servings per week (as 19 percent did) had a 46 percent lower risk of their cancer returning and a 53 percent lower risk of dying than those who said they did not eat tree nuts.

The study is an outgrowth of a famous clinical trial that began in 1999, testing chemotherapies in 1,264 patients with stage 3 colon cancer (meaning it had spread to lymph nodes but not to distant sites like the liver and lungs). Some patients filled out questionnaires about diet and lifestyle, once while receiving chemotherapy and again six months after treatment ended. 

Fadelu and his colleagues studied nut consumption because that has been associated with lower mortality, mostly because of a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. “We definitely think something is going on,” with tree nuts providing a biological benefit, Fadelu said. For one thing, they decrease insulin resistance, “a potential mechanism” by which they might keep colon cancer from recurring, he said.

Published on Leave a comment on Can Cruciferous Vegetables Fight Cancer?

Reading this recent study, I was struck by how the results are evidence for eating sulforaphane containing foods, such as kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage for health and preventing cancer (due to anti-tumor activity). It is debatable whether it is support for taking supplements (here a sulforaphane supplement called BSE), even though the researchers were testing the supplement. Seven days of taking a supplement without "serious adverse events" (but they did have minor ones such as "mild abdominal discomfort") is too short a length of time for any support for a product. The real test would be seeing what health effects, both positive and negative, are after a year or two of taking the supplement.

Numerous other studies have found that eating foods are linked to good health, while taking supplements are linked to various health problems. Some scientists speculate that it's because the doses in supplements are too high - that they're much higher than what is found in foods. Also, supplements may be missing important nutrients that are found in foods. Bottom line: eat real foods for health and and cancer prevention, including several servings a week of cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage, garden cress,bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts and similar green leaf vegetables). From Futurity:

Can A Broccoli Sprout Pill Fight Cancer?

A compound in broccoli sprouts may not only help prevent cancer but also treat it. Sulforaphane is found in vegetables such as kale, cauliflower, and cabbage—and in particularly high concentrations in young broccoli sprouts. Sulforaphane also is available as a dietary supplement called BSE.

Researchers at the Texas A&M Health Science Center Institute of Biosciences and Technology, along with collaborators in Oregon, had previously found that sulforaphane could inhibit colon and prostate cancer cells in the laboratory. They’ve now shown that it seems to help humans as well. A paper published in the journal Clinical Epigenetics hints at the biological pathways involved and suggests BSE is generally safe.

“We have not seen any serious adverse events in healthy volunteers who consumed BSE pills for seven days,” says Praveen Rajendran, an assistant professor at Texas A&M University, although some people did experience mild abdominal discomfort.

In a separate clinical study, 28 human volunteers over the age of 50, who were undergoing routine colonoscopies, were surveyed for their cruciferous vegetable-eating habits. When their colon biopsies were examined, those who ate more servings were found to have higher levels of expression of the tumor suppressor gene p16 than those who ate few or no cruciferous vegetables.

This effect on p16 held even for people who didn’t eat these vegetables every single day, which may seem strange, as a single serving of sulforaphane is generally cleared from the body in less than 24 hours. “This hints at the possibility that epigenetic mechanisms are initially triggered by sulforaphane and its metabolites, and downstream mechanisms could be sustained, at least in the short-term, even after compounds are eliminated from the body.” In other words, eating vegetables containing sulforaphane may change your genes and help your body fight tumor growth.

However, it’s not all good news. In animal models, sulforaphane was shown to generally inhibit the development of colon cancer, but it’s a bit of a two-edged sword. Sulforaphane induces a protein called Nrf2, which has beneficial antioxidant and detoxifying effects—and is obviously good for fighting cancer. Later in the development of cancer, though, Nrf2 can also have a role in tumor growth and can even enhance the buildup of plaque in the arteries.