Johns Hopkins Health Alert
What You Eat Affects Your Colorectal Cancer Risk
A number of studies have confirmed a link between diet and the risk of colorectal cancer. In one study of 150,000 adults reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, people who ate the most red and processed meat over a 20-year period had a 50 percent greater risk of developing colorectal cancer than those who consumed little meat. Individuals who ate more poultry and fish than other meats had a 70 percent lower risk of colon cancer. Likewise, a large European study of close to half a million people found that those who ate the most red and processed meat had the highest risk of colorectal cancer, while those who ate the most fish had the lowest risk of colorectal cancer. However, eating poultry neither increased nor decreased the risk of colorectal cancer.
Finally, a third study, performed in Japan, found that women who followed a traditional Japanese diet (high in salted fish, rice, miso soup and pickled vegetables) or a typical Western diet (high in meat and cheese) had a higher risk of colon cancer than those who consumed a healthy diet (high in vegetables, fruits and soy). Men did not have a higher risk of colorectal cancer as a result of eating a Japanese or Western diet.
More research on diet and the risk of colorectal cancer in women
Women who consume a diet with a high glycemic load—one that includes lots of simple sugars—may be more likely to develop colorectal cancer than those who eat low-glycemic diets. Dietary factors have been strongly linked to colorectal cancer, but the long-term effects of a high-glycemic load have remained unclear.
In their study, which was reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers followed more than 38,000 women for an average of almost eight years. Participants were asked to record all the food they ate at the study’s onset. By the end of the study, 174 women had developed colorectal cancer. Women with the highest glycemic load were almost three times as likely to develop cancer as those who ate a low-glycemic diet. High total carbohydrate and fructose intakes were also associated with an elevated risk of colon cancer. The study authors remark that trying to establish a link between diet and disease is difficult because the factors involved are complex. For example, although a high glycemic load may be associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, other variables such as body weight, level of physical activity, smoking, alcohol use and intake of other nutrients probably play a role as well.
Posted in Colon Cancer on February 27, 2007
Reviewed June 2011
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
Notify Me
Would you like us to inform you when we post new Colon Cancer Health Alerts?
Comments
Health Alerts registered users may post comments and share experiences here at their own discretion. We regret that questions on individual health concerns to the Johns Hopkins editors cannot be answered in this space.
The views expressed here do not constitute medical advice, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins Medicine or Remedy Health Media, LLC, which has no responsibility for any comments posted on this site.
Question: I have been taking Pariet (rabeprazole) for 6 months. Would it be safe for me to continue taking this medication. Are there any long-term side effects?? I feel I need to continue on some sort of anti-acid medication. WHAT would you recommend.
Thank You for your reply
Amelitta Berretta
akberretta
akberretta@can.rogers.com
Posted by: akberretta | April 16, 2007 12:28 AM
According to the American Cancer Society, "In most people, colorectal cancers develop slowly over a period of several years. It is thought that the progression from normal epithelial cells to cancer takes, on average, 10 to 20 years. Because it takes such a long time for a small adenoma to develop into an adenocarcinoma, colorectal cancer is a highly preventable disease." From "A Complete Guide to Colorectal Cancer"
Posted by: Marjorie | April 17, 2007 3:48 PM
Post a Comment
Already a subscriber?
Login
New to Johns Hopkins Health Alerts?
Viewing the page showing the growth of color polyps,approximately what is the time span of the examples given ? Specifically, can a polyp that is not seen on an exam grow to become fully cancerous is two years ?
Posted by: betapop | April 15, 2007 2:48 PM