Simple dietary changes may lower colon cancer risk in men, study finds : ScienceAlert

Plant-based foods offer various health benefits, including reduced risk. cardiovascular disease, high blood pressureand type 2 DiabetesEating fruits and vegetables regularly may even reduce your risk of developing certain diseases. cancer.

A new study of 79,952 men in the United States found that a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds was associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer than those who ate the least. A 22% lower risk of developing the disease was found. of plant-based foods.

This study is only an observation. In other words, although scientists have some ideas, they still don’t know why some foods are associated with gut health.

That said, the findings suggest that reducing consumption of animal foods, refined grains, and sugar in general may have lifelong benefits.

Interestingly, researchers found no association between a plant-based diet and colorectal cancer among 93,475 women in the United States.

“We speculate that antioxidants in foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by reducing chronic inflammation that can lead to cancer. doing.” I will explain Kim Ji-hye, who studies nutrition and dietetics at Kyung Hee University in South Korea.

“Since men tend to have a higher risk of colorectal cancer than women, this suggests that eating more healthy plant-based foods is associated with lower colorectal cancer risk in men, but not in women.” I think it helps explain why.”

Women also generally consume more plant-based foods than men, so eating more fruits and vegetables does not necessarily increase protection against cancer in any measurable way. Hmm. This particular cohort of women may already be maximizing the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Previous studies in other countries have found similar gender differences.

at the UK Biobank studyFor example, men who ate relatively small amounts of meat were 9% less likely to develop colorectal cancer than typical meat eaters.

As a population-level study, the study was very comprehensive, but focused on dietary meat levels rather than intake of specific plant-based foods. , does not necessarily equate to an increase in healthier options.

Some plant-based foods are more nutritious than others. Previous the studyFor example, whole grains, vegetables, and cereal fiber have been shown to reduce cancer risk. refined grain It has health drawbacks.

Unfortunately, the current study did not distinguish between animal food types. This is a bit limiting given that some foods, such as fish and dairy, may actually be good for you. However, this does not cover lifelong food intake.

Where this study excels, however, is that it incorporated multi-ethnic cohorts from Hawaii and Los Angeles.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world, but not everyone is equally at risk. Researchers found that a plant-based diet was associated with the greatest improvement in colorectal cancer risk in Japanese American and white men, as opposed to African Americans.

Among white men, those who ate the healthiest plant-based foods were 24% less likely to develop colorectal cancer later in life than those on the opposite end of the dietary spectrum. In men, the risk was reduced by 20%.

“This pattern of association may result from differences in non-dietary lifestyle risk factors between racial and ethnic groups,” the authors said. write.

in the ” [multiethnic cohort]African-American men had higher rates of obesity and smoking, and were less physically active than Japanese-American and white men.

Further research is needed to investigate the different genetic and environmental factors that may be involved in colorectal cancer incidence, and where diet fits in that combination.

research published BMCmedicine.