Downsize fats to fight colon cancer
If you regularly super-size an already high-fat meal from fastfood restaurants, you are putting your health at risk. “The current American diet can provide more fat on a daily basis than a human being was ever meant to handle,” says Dr. David Mangelsdorf, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. As a result, cancers of the colon and rectum are much higher in the United States than in Japan, where a low-fat diet is the norm.
No one is quite sure why fat increases cancer risk. But Mangelsdorf and his fellow researchers believe lithocholic acid, produced as the body processes cholesterol, may be at least part of the reason. Lithocholic acid is highly toxic, and it builds up in a high-fat diet,” Mangelsdorf says. “We don't know how it causes cancer, but it is known to cause cancer in mice, and people with colon cancer have high concentrations of it.”
In addition to watching your fat intake, here are some other ways to protect yourself against colon cancer.
Avoid prime protein. European researchers found that red meat, and processed meat in particular, increases the risk of colon cancer. Other studies have connected welldone — especially grilled — meats to colon cancer, as well. You might replace at least some of the red meat in your diet with broiled fish or baked chicken or turkey breast. Beans are also a good alternate source of protein.
Drink low-fat milk. The lactose, or sugar, in milk seems to protect your colon with healthy bacteria. But go slow on other dairy products. Cheese, buttermilk, and butter may slightly raise your risk of colorectal cancer.
Be choosy about oils. To follow a low-fat diet, you would naturally use oils in moderation. Research, however, shows olive oil may be protective against colon cancer. Corn and safflower oil, on the other hand, may increase your risk.
© FCA Publishing
Excerpt from FC&A’s Unleash the Inner Healing Power of Foods.
