Colon cancer
From The Nutritional Health Bible by Linda Lazarides (1997). This free database is provided for interest only. Linda's later writings refer to more up-to-date research.
Some causative factors- Dietary fibre deficiency
- Excess fat consumption
- Excess sugar consumption
- Folic acid deficiency
- Vitamin E deficiency.
A study on 35,215 Iowa women showed that a high intake of vitamin E may decrease the risk of colon cancer. Bostick RM et al: Reduced risk of colon cancer with high intake of vitamin E: the Iowa Women's Health Study. Cancer Res 53(18):4230-7, 1993
In a study comparing the sugar consumption of 953 cases of colon cancer with 2845 controls, researchers found that compared with subjects who reported adding no sugar to their beverages, the relative risk of contracting colon cancer was 1.4 times higher for those adding 1 spoonful, 1.6 times higher for those adding 2 spoonfuls, and twice as high for those adding 3 or more. La Vecchia C et al: Refined sugar intake and the risk of colorectal cancer in humans. Int J Cancer 55:386-9, 1993.
The diets of 50 patients with colon cancer were compared with 50 matched controls. Those with colon cancer consumed significantly more sugar and fat and less dietary fibre. Bristol JB et al: Sugar, fat and the risk of colorectal cancer. BMJ 291(6507):1467-70, 1985.
A study analyzing the diet and blood of 682 subjects found that men with the highest intake of folic acid had only 50% of the risk of developing colorectal polyps (a risk factor for cancer of the colon) compared with those having the lowest intake. Bird CL et al: Red cell and plasma folate, folate consumption, and the risk of colorectal adenomatous polyps. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 4(7):709-14, 1995.
1,904 vegetarians were followed-up for 11 years in Germany. Among the men, their expected death rates were 44 per cent less than for the general population and for the women 53 per cent less. Rates of death from colon cancer were also greatly reduced. Health-conscious behaviour was thought to play an important part in addition to vegetarianism. Frentzel-Beyme R et al: Vegetarian diets and colon cancer: the German experience. Am J Clin Nutr 59(5 Suppl):1143S-1152S, 1994.