Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, killing nearly 52,000 people last year, according to the American Cancer Society. It’s most prevalent in Western societies, where animal fat and processed and refined foods are front and center in people’s diets.
Colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, with lifestyle playing a key role in stopping it, experts say. In fact, the death rate for colon cancer would be cut in half, saving 25,000 lives a year, if all adults 50 and older would just get screened, according to the American Cancer Society. So schedule your screening today, and consider taking these additional six steps to cut your risk.
Don’t: Carry excess belly fat
After not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight is the most important action you can take to prevent cancer, according to American Institute for Cancer Research experts. Excess body fat, particularly fat around the waist, is an important risk factor for colon cancer. The AICR recommends being as lean as possible without becoming underweight. A study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine shows that making a new small change each week in eating and activity habits is more effective than traditional weight-loss programs. For example, replace a daily snack with fruit and take the stairs rather than the elevator whenever possible.
Do: Eat a plant-based diet
Consuming low-fat, fiber-rich, whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, helps lower colon cancer risk. Such a diet slows growth of polyps, reduces their formation, and prevents them from becoming malignant. Experts note that it’s not just the fiber itself in these foods that is protective; rather, it’s the compounds of high-fiber natural foods —micronutrients and phytochemicals — working together, according to the Colon Cancer Foundation.
Don’t: Eat processed meat
It’s best not to eat that bacon, hot dog, ham, or sausage. Cancer risk associated with processed meat begins to grow with any portion of it, the AICR reports. So health experts recommend avoiding it altogether. Cell-damaging carcinogens can form when preservatives are added to meat, or when it is salted, cured, or smoked, health experts warn.
Do: Limit red meat
Studies show we can eat up to 18 ounces of red meat a week without increasing our cancer risk, reports the American Institute for Cancer Research. Red meat — pork, lamb, and beef — contain substances linked to colon cancer, such as heme iron, which gives meat its red color. The compound has been shown to damage the colon lining. What’s more, research shows that meat lovers tend to eat fewer plant-based foods, missing out on their anti-cancer benefits.
Do: Get some B6
Reporting on an analysis of 13 previous studies, researchers said last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association that vitamin B6 helps prevent colon cancer. However, in the United States, 40 percent of women and 20 percent of men over age 50 don’t consume enough of the nutrient, found in bananas, avocados, beans, grains, poultry, vegetables, and fish, JAMA reported. The Institute of Medicine recommends a daily intake of 1.7 mg for men and 1.5 mg for women over 50 from a variety of foods. Vitamin D also has been tied to lower colon cancer risk, although further study has been called for.
Don’t: Order a third drink
In a research review released in September, the AICR found a strong link between alcohol consumption and colon cancer for men, and for rectal cancer in both men and women. (Research didn’t show as strong a connection for women and colon cancer, but there’s convincing evidence that alcohol boosts breast cancer risk.) Of the 154,000 cases of colon cancer diagnosed annually in the United States, 7,700 are attributable to alcohol consumption. The cancer research organization recommends that men have no more than two drinks a day and women have no more than one.
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