A large study from the University of Oxford has found that what you eat can affect your risk of getting colorectal cancer.
This cancer, which includes colon and rectal cancer, is the third most common cancer in the world. In 2022, almost 2 million people were diagnosed with it.
The study looked at the eating habits of more than 540,000 women in the UK over 16.6 years. It was part of the Million Women Study and was published in the journal Nature Communications. The researchers found that some foods increase the risk of colorectal cancer, while others help protect against it.
Foods that raise the risk include alcohol and red or processed meats. The study showed that drinking two alcoholic drinks a day (about 20 grams of alcohol) raises the risk of colorectal cancer by 15%. Eating just one slice of bacon or a small amount of red meat (30 grams) each day raises the risk by 8%.
On the other hand, many healthy foods were linked to a lower cancer risk. Calcium-rich foods, such as milk and yogurt, were found to be helpful. Just one glass of milk a day (about 300 milligrams of calcium) lowered the risk by 17%.
People who drank milk daily had a 40% lower cancer risk for every extra 200 grams they drank. This may be because calcium helps bind harmful acids in the gut and removes them from the body.
Whole grains also helped. Eating just half a slice of whole wheat bread (20 grams of whole grains) reduced the risk by 10%. A bowl of breakfast cereal (40 grams) cut the risk by 7%.
Fruits and vegetables showed protective effects too. Eating one apple a day, which provides about 5 grams of fiber, lowered the risk by 8%. A cup of fruit (200 grams) lowered it by 10%.
Leafy greens, which contain folate, reduced the risk by 12% with just 100 micrograms of folate daily. Getting enough vitamin C, like the amount in one orange (100 milligrams), cut the risk by 10%.
The researchers also looked at genetics. People who had genetic traits linked to higher milk consumption were much less likely to get colorectal cancer, adding more support to the idea that dairy helps protect the gut.
While this study gives strong evidence, the scientists explained that healthy eaters often have other healthy habits, like exercising or not smoking. So it’s hard to be sure if the lower risk is only from food. They also said that while calcium seems helpful, more research is needed to know if taking a lot of calcium is always safe.
Still, the main message is clear. You can lower your risk of colorectal cancer by changing your diet. Try to drink less alcohol and eat less red or processed meat. Instead, eat more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products like milk and yogurt. Even small changes in what you eat can help prevent serious health problems.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that a low-carb diet could increase overall cancer risk, and berry that can prevent cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects the risks of heart disease and cancer and results showing vitamin D supplements could strongly reduce cancer death.
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