Health Hotline Magazine | March 2023

And according to the American Cancer Society, while colorectal cancer rates have decreased among older adults, they are steadily rising among adults 55 and younger. A study published in 2022 found that the rates of metastatic colon cancer had increased the most in 30 to 39-year-olds.

Let’s get over the awkwardness of talking about colon health and keep the conversation going.

PRIORITIZE ORGANIC VEGETABLES & FIBER, AVOID ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD

We know that diet heavily influences health, and this may never be so true as when it comes to colon health, because everything you eat quite literally passes through your colon. Indeed, diet is recognized as a modifiable risk factor for colorectal cancer. First, what to avoid. Alcohol has been strongly associated with an increased risk of colon cancer. One meta-analysis of 57 studies from Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America found that moderate drinking (considered 1-4 drinks a day) was associated with a 21 percent increase in risk, while heavy drinking (more than 4 drinks per day) was associated with a 52 percent increased risk.

Sugar-sweetened drinks like soft drinks have been linked with early-onset colorectal cancer. A study published in 2021 used the Nurses’ Health Study II (1991-2015) to investigate the association of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in adolescence and adulthood with the risk of early-onset colorectal cancer. Compared with those who had less than one serving a week of SSB, the women who consumed more than two servings a day as adults had more than double the risk of early-onset colorectal cancer, with the risk increasing by 16 percent with each serving per day. Each serving per day between the ages of 13 and 18 was associated with a 32 percent higher risk of early-onset colorectal cancer. Sugar-sweetened beverages like soft drinks are a form of ultra-processed foods, and a 2022 study found that a diet high in ultra-processed foods—low in fiber and high in sugar and unhealthy fats—was associated with an increased risk of colon cancer, especially in men. Examples of ultra-processed foods included soft drinks, processed meats, packaged

sweet snacks, instant soups/noodles, breads and breakfast foods like granola bars and cereal, and artificial sweeteners. The researchers found that the men who ate the most processed food had a 29 percent higher risk of developing colorectal cancer overall compared to those who ate the least amount; there was a 72 percent higher risk of distal colon cancer specifically (cancer in the lower colon). There was no significant association among women.

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