Issue Date: March 10, 2002
Stop a killer in its tracks
Improving your diet can help prevent 75% of colon cancers.
Colon cancer is one of the leading killers of Americans. This year's expected toll: 56,600 deaths. Yet you can reduce your odds of getting colon cancer by eating the right foods. The American Institute of Cancer Research says up to 75% of cases of colon cancer could be prevented by diet. Here, for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, are eight strategies based on the latest research:
Get lots of folic acid.
Dried beans, green leafy vegetables, orange juice and fortified cereals are rich in this cancer fighter. Recent Louisiana State University research showed that getting 250 micrograms of folic acid daily slashed colon cancer odds by 60% in men. In a Harvard study, women who took multivitamins containing folic acid for 15 years cut colon cancer risk by 75%. Probable reason: Folic acid blocks DNA damage that leads to cancer.
Choose olive oil.
Though fat is a suspected colon cancer villain, a new British study of diet and cancer in 28 countries, including the USA, concludes that high consumers of olive oil have a lower rate of colon cancer. That jibes with animal research showing olive oil suppresses colon tumor growth. Corn oil and animal fat increase colon cancer in animals; fish oil doesn't. Also harmful: trans fatty acids (the partially hydrogenated fats in some margarines, baked goods and processed foods). University of Utah researchers report that a diet high in trans fats doubled older women's risk of colon cancer.
Watch what you drink.
Alcohol boosts colon cancer risk, perhaps by neutralizing folic acid. Wipe out this hazard by taking 600mcg of folic acid daily, says Walter Willett, a nutritionist at Harvard. New research funded by the Swedish Cancer Foundation also shows that low-fat milk may help guard against colon cancer. And investigators at Michigan State University say orange juice (high in folic acid and anti-cancer chemicals called limonoids) suppresses colon cancer in animals. Coffee has no influence on colon cancer, Swedish researchers say.
Go for fruits and vegetables.
Much research finds it's hazardous to skimp on produce. A recent study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows that Swedish women who ate only 11Ž2 daily servings of fruit and vegetables were 65% more likely to develop colon cancer than those who ate 21Ž2 servings. You may cut your risk in half by pigging out on vegetables, finds another National Cancer Institute analysis. So eat five to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
Curb bad carbohydrates.
Surprising new research suggests foods that drive up blood sugar and trigger releases of insulin ("high glycemic index" foods) may stimulate colon cancer. Those foods include refined sugar and flour, white rice, potatoes and processed cereals. In a recent Italian study, eating foods with the highest glycemic index, compared with the lowest glycemic index, raised colon cancer odds 70%.
Restrict red meat.
Especially when fried or well done, red meat instigates colon cancer, experts say. One reason: High-heat cooking spurs the formation of carcinogens called heterocyclic amines (HCAs). In new research at the University of Southern California, colon cancer risk tripled in people who ate red meat well-done and doubled in those who often fried, grilled or broiled it. Most dangerous for colon cancer: bacon, ham and other meats cured with nitrates.
Don't neglect fiber.
Many experts insist a high-fiber diet discourages colon cancer, and they're supported by about 20 studies. Most recent: A study of 406,323 Europeans reported that a high-fiber diet cut colon cancer odds by 40%. But in two recent U.S. studies, eating a diet high in fiber (35g daily) or taking a wheat bran fiber supplement (13.5g daily) failed to prevent the recurrence of precancerous colon polyps. So the jury is still out, says study author Arthur Schatzkin at the National Cancer Institute. He suggests the three- to four-year test was too brief to show suppression of polyps. Recommended: 25g fiber daily.
Lose weight.BR>
A combination of overeating and underexercising is the strongest link to colon cancer, says Harvard's Willett. Research by the American Cancer Society finds obese men are nearly twice as likely to die of colon cancer as normal-weight men. And fatness promotes polyp growth, recent Norwegian research finds. So cut calories and add exercise.
Confetti Salad
A colorful, crispy dish packed with powerful cancer fighters, including folic acid.
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
19-ounce can white (cannellini) beans, drained and rinsed
11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
2 large scallions, sliced, with green tops
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. orange juice
Salt and pepper, to taste
Put first five ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together oil, vinegar, juice. Toss all. Serve.
Serves: 6.
Per serving: 196 calories, 6g protein, 19g carbohydrates, 11g fat (1g saturated), 5g fiber, 118mg sodium.
-- Contributing Editor Jean Carper is an authority on food as medicine.
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Scientific sources for this article
Get Lots of Folic Acid
-- Su LJ, et al. Ann Epidemiol 2001 Jan;11(1): 65-72
-- Giovannucci E., et al. Ann Intern Med 1998 Oct 1;129(7):517-24
Choose Olive Oil
-- Reuter's press release September 19, 2001--study not yet published
-- Newmark HL. Ann NY Acad Sci 1999;889;193-203
-- Slattery ML, et al. Nutr Cancer 2001:39(2): 170-75
Watch What You Drink
-- Walter Willett. (Eat, Drink and Be Healthy. Simon & Schuster, 2001; page 166).
-- Jarvinen R., Eur J Clin Nutr 2001 Nov; 55(11): 1000-7
-- Bennink, Maurice, Science News, Sept 11, 1999, p. 166
-- Terry P. Gut 2001 Jul;49(1): 87-90
Go for Fruits and Vegetables
-- Terry P., et al. J Natl Cancer Inst 2001 Apr 4;93(7): 525-33
-- Trock, Lanza,Greenwald. Journal National Cancer Institute, 1990; 82: 650-661
Curb the Bad Carbs
-- Franceschi S. Ann Oncol 2001 Feb; 12(2): 173-8
Restrict Red Meat
-- Wu AH,et al. Carcinogenesis 2001 Oct, 22(10): 1681-4
-- Hughes R. Carcinogenesis 2001 Jan; 22(1): 199-202)
Don't Neglect Fiber
--Sheila Bingham, deputy director of the Human Nutrition Unit at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, presented at the European Conference on Nutrition and Cancer in Lyon, France, June 22, 2001.
-- Schatzkin A. N Engl J Med 2000 Apr 20;342(16):1149-55
-- Alberts DS. N Eng J Med 2000 Apr 20;342(16):1156-62
Cut Calories
-- Murphy, TK. Am J Epidemiol 2000 Nov 1: 152(9): 847-54
-- Almendingen K. Am J Gastroenterol 2001 Jul; 96(7): 2238-46
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