Most diets help you lose weight–but this could help reduce your risk of colon cancer as well.
New research led by scientists from the University of Pittsburgh reveal that eating an African diet, which emphasizes foods low in fat and high in fiber, changed certain biomarkers, which reduced their risk of developing colon cancer. On the other hand, those who ate a more traditional American diet, which emphasize more fat and protein, upped their risk of colon cancer–in as little as 2 weeks.
The research is published in the May issue of Nature Communications, a health journal.
“The African-American diet, which contains more animal protein, and fat, and less soluble fiber than the African diet, is thought to increase colon cancer risk,” says Stephen O’Keefe, a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine professor of medicine in the school’s gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition division. “Other studies with Japanese migrants to Hawaii have shown that it takes only one generation of Westernization to change their low incidence of colon cancer to the high rates observed in native Hawaiians.”
Recruiting 20 African Americans and 20 native South Africans, researchers had them do a diet swap–having native Africans adopt an American diet, whereas African Americans ate a traditional African diet instead. African Americans face a heightened risk of colon cancer whereas native Africans do not, which researchers hypothesized was due to their dietary intake.
Two weeks later, researchers examined their fecal matter to see if any changes had occurred within their colons.
The biggest change? African Americans had increased their butyrate production, something thought to trigger anti-cancer pathways. On the contrary, native Africans increased biomarkers correlated with a higher colon cancer risk.
And that’s exactly what researchers expected to find.
“These findings are really very good news,” says Jeremy Nicholson, co-author of the study and a researcher from the Imperial College London. “In just two weeks, a change in diet from a Westernized composition to a traditional African high-fiber, low-fat diet reduced these biomarkers of cancer risk, indicating that it is likely never too late to modify the risk of colon cancer.”
Although further test will be needed, the research thus far couldn’t be more compelling–lowering your fat and protein intake could lower your colon cancer risk in as little as 2 weeks. Better yet, it doesn’t matter how healthy you are to start with.
What You Should Do
Want to lower your cancer risk? The easiest way may be to adopt an African-style diet, say researchers, which emphasizes a high fiber and low fat intake. It’s especially beneficial to African Americans, who face a higher risk of this disease.
Readers: How much fiber and fat do you eat on a regular basis?
Sources:
Can a Diet Swap Lower Colon Cancer Risk? (Press Release) – Futurity.org
Nature Communications: Fat, Fiber and Cancer Risk in African Americans and Rural Africans (Study) – Nature.com
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