Prevent Colon Cancer by Thinking Anti-Inflammatory (Diet)

To Your Health

January, 2018 (Vol. 12, Issue 01)

Prevent Colon Cancer by Thinking Anti-Inflammatory (Diet)

By Editorial Staff

Red meat, refined grains, sugary beverages; eat too much and you're doing your health a disservice on numerous levels, perhaps the most distressing of which is an increased risk of colon cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 150,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with colorectal cancer annually and more than 50,000 die. Now are you ready to take your diet seriously? Here's how.

Eating a diet that focuses too much on these types of foods – characterized as "pro-inflammatory" because they tend to promote high levels of inflammation within the body – can elevate colon cancer risk by more than 30 percent compared to eating a diet low in pro-inflammatory foods, according to recent research.

The study in JAMA Oncology found that men in particular were at increased risk for colon cancer: 44 percent more likely if consuming a high-inflammation diet. Women who consumed a similar diet had a 22 percent increased risk.

Fortunately, besides avoiding these and other pro-inflammatory foods, many other foods you can add to your diet are anti-inflammatory in nature. Think fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fatty fish, beans, nuts, and fresh herbs and spices. To learn more about the anti-inflammatory diet, click hereand talk to your doctor.