Colorectal Cancer

Overview: Diet, Nutrition, and Colorectal Cancer

hamburgers cooking on a grill

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is, quite simply, cancer of the colon and rectum and is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality. Forty percent of those who develop colorectal cancer will die of the disease.

Most of colon and rectal cancers are believed to arise from transformation of one of three types of colon polyps: adenomatous, villous adenoma, or serrated. However, through regular screening, precancerous polyps can be found to catch it in the earliest stages. While approximately 75% of all cases occur in those with no known predisposing factors, we have identified numerous risk factors that contribute to the chances of developing colorectal cancer. Colorectal Cancer Overview »

Colorectal Cancer Research News

Black Women, Meat, and Colorectal Cancer
Looking at the evidence, it is clear that eating more processed red meat (bacon, sausage, or lunch meats, all with added nitrates or nitrites) leads to a greater risk of colorectal cancers. In fact, it's one of the reasons that the Mediterranean-style diet recommends saving "processed red meats" for occasional treats and limiting "unprocessed" red meats to a weekly average of 4 ounces of intake per day for men and 3.25 ounces of unprocessed red meat, again on average per week, for women.

Processed meats and colorectal cancers
A little over a year ago I reported on a prospective study out of the UK that showed that those who ate as little as 7 ounces of processed meats per week increased their risk of colorectal cancer by 19% compared to those who ate just an ounce per week. Seven ounces is about 2 breakfast sausage links per day or an ounce of bologna on your sandwich every day.

Don't panic!; or, Yes, you can still eat red meat
If you follow health news at all, whether that's online or just catching the evening news on television, you've probably heard about this study, just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. While the media has been making much of the story, acting almost as if eating red meat of any kind will make you drop dead, the truth is that if you've been following Dr. Gourmet and eating a Mediterranean style diet, you know that there's nothing to be so alarmed about.

Less Red, More White
One of the principles of The Mediterranean Diet is eating less red meat, such as pork or beef, and more fish and chicken. Would this change, alone, have a real impact on your health? It appears so.

Fruits, Vegetables, and Colorectal Cancer
Studies have shown that a diet high in fruits and vegetables can help you avoid a number of types of cancers, including oral cancers, skin cancer, and prostate cancer. But the effect of a diet high in fruits or vegetables has not yet conclusively linked to the incidence of colon or rectal cancers. A team of researchers recently reported on a large-scale study specifically designed to evaluate the risks of several types of cancers, including colorectal cancer.

Avoid Colorectal Cancer: Drink Your Milk!
A study of 45,306 men between the ages of 45 and 79 and without a history of cancer were followed for seven years by researchers in Sweden. The study assessed their level of dairy product intake and correlated the subjects' intake to the incidence of colorectal cancers of various types: colorectum, colon, proximal colon, distal colon, and rectum.

Update on red and processed meat and colon cancers
The health and nutrition community has been sounding the alarm on red and processed meats and its well-established link to colorectal cancers for at least the last decade. Dedicated Dr. Gourmet readers likely know that they should avoid processed meats as much as possible, choose nitrite- and nitrate-free processed meats if they must, and limit their intake of unprocessed red meats (yes, this includes pork) to no more than once every two weeks or so.

A history of moderation may improve your chances of surviving colorectal cancer
If you've been following Dr. Gourmet for a while, you probably know that alcohol is one of the nine points of a Mediterranean-style diet. Research has shown that those who consume a moderate amount of alcohol, mostly with meals, are less likely to develop diabetes or heart disease than those who do not consume alcohol, while those whose intake is excessive (4 or more drinks per day for women, or 4 1/2 drinks per day for men) are almost twice as likely to develop diabetes.

A victory for moderation
Colon and rectal cancers are the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and among the 6 leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide. Naturally there's been a great deal of interest in links between diet and colorectal cancers: here at Dr. Gourmet we've seen evidence that fruits and vegetables in general, fiber in particular, beans, and even dairy products have helped reduce the risk of colorectal cancers, while eating red and processed meats have appeared to increase that risk.

Caffeinated Coffee Linked to Reduced Risk of Colon Cancer
There's a tremendous amount of research available on the benefits of drinking coffee. Much of that research has attributed its positive health effects on the large amounts of antioxidants it contains, regardless of whether that coffee is caffeinated or decaffeinated.

Getting the balance right
We've seen in previous studies that eating red meat has been linked to breast cancer in women as well as colon or rectal cancer. Researchers at the University of North Carolina noted these results as well as those studies that link eating more fruits and vegetables with a reduced risk of these cancers. Similarly, some dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean Diet, appear to protect against colon and rectal cancers.

Increased BMI Linked to Increased Risk of Cancer
We know that being overweight puts you at higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, but a recent study published in the Lancet (2008;371:569-78) makes it clear that overweight and obesity are linked to an increased risk of certain types of cancers, as well.

Ask Dr. Gourmet Questions About Cancer

I'm on chemo - what can I eat that will taste good?
...[I] find myself on chemo for lymphoma and just wondered if you all had done any research at all on how to make things palatable when the tastebuds go awry. I know what to eat and what not to - I just don't know how to make it taste bearable.

What are your suggestions for eating during chemotherapy?
I'm undergoing chemotherapy for B cell lymphoma. Are there any tasty recipes you can recommend that are high in calories to help stop the weight loss?

As a cancer survivor, can I follow the same diet as my diabetic husband?
My husband is diabetic, and I am a cancer survivor. With the guidelines given to me to minimize recurring of the cancer, as well as my health in general after chemo, it seems easier for me to follow a diabetic diet than it would be to try and fix 2 different meals twice a day. Would I be starving my cells and ultimately doing more harm than good if I were to follow his diet?

 

 
 

Just Tell Me What to Eat!

The Delicious 6-Week Weight Loss Plan for the Real World

Just Tell Me What to Eat!

Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP has counseled thousands of his patients on healthy, sustainable weight loss. Now he's compiled his best tips and recipes into a six-week plan for you to learn how to eat great food that just happens to be great for you.

Get the prescription for better health as well as healthy weight loss, including:

What to eat
How to cook it
When to eat it
What to eat at a restaurant
What to eat if you're in a hurry
and best of all....
Why eating great food is the best health decision you'll ever make.

Just $15.00 +s/h!