Stop Colon Cancer Now | Eating Toward a Healthy Colon.
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University recently found that diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils, as well as low-fat dairy products in women and fish in men, are associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. This healthy eating plan cut the risk of developing the disease by 65 percent in women and 62 percent in men.
Here are a few other tips to keep in mind when choosing foods to keep your colon healthy and ward off colon cancer:
* Eat the rainbow. Brighten your plate by including a variety of fruits and veggies in your meals, which are chock-full of antioxidants that can prevent cancer.
* Limit your intake of red and processed meats. Diets high in animal fats may be linked to a greater incidence of colon cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Meanwhile, processed meats such as hot dogs, bacon, deli meats and sausage, can increase colon cancer risk as well. The American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund found that one daily serving of processed meats increases risk by 21 percent.
* Boost your fiber intake. Fiber is necessary for a healthy digestive system. It supports healthy and normal bowel functions and prevents diverticular disease from forming in the colon. Besides fruits and vegetables, fiber can also be found in legumes and whole-grain breads, cereals, pasta and rice.
* Bone up on calcium. Calcium plays a role in colon cancer prevention, according to a Medical News Today article. To increase your consumption of calcium, snack on dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese, in addition to dark green vegetables, almonds, soy and tofu products and fortified foods, such as orange juice.
* Get plenty of the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, aids in the body’s absorption of calcium and can also reduce colon cancer risk. The body can create vitamin D through sunlight exposure, but it can also be found in milk, eggs and cooked salmon, mackerel and sardines.