Health Hotline Magazine | March 2023

REINFORCE WITH SUPPLEMENTS

Probiotics. A healthy colon is teeming with a diversity of bacteria, but our modern-day lives can shift the balance to one of dysbiosis, or an imbalance of harmful bacteria that may lead to disease. In fact, researchers have found that patients with colon cancer have an abundance of certain pathogenic bacteria and lower amounts of health-promoting species, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium , suggesting that dysbiosis plays a role in the development of colon cancer. Animal studies have shown that alterations in the colon’s microbial community can directly contribute to tumor susceptibility, but that probiotics, including several species of Lactobacillus (L. acidophilus, L. salivarius, L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus) have protective e ects and can inhibit precancerous growths. Research has shown that regular consumption of probiotics can improve the quantity and quality of bacteria in the colon, preventing dysbiosis, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in the colon, and supporting overall colon health and function. It is best to consume a variety of species, including both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium . EPA & DHA. The development of colon cancer is driven, in part, by chronic inflammation. Indeed, those with inflammatory bowel diseases, such as colitis or Crohn’s disease, have an increased risk of developing colon cancer. The omega-3 fats EPA and DHA are well-documented to have potent anti-inflammatory e ects and play an important role in maintaining colon health. Epidemiological studies have found that indigenous populations in Greenland who eat a traditional diet rich in omega-3 fats have a significantly lower incidence of colon cancer, while a typical Western diet, high in processed omega-6 fats, is associated with a high risk for inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer. The omega-3 fats EPA and DHA reduce inflammation, inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells, and induce apoptosis of cancer cells. Research has also shown that taking fish oil in combination with curcumin or the flavonoid quercetin has additional beneficial e ects in the colon. Most of us don’t eat enough cold-water fatty fish to get the 3,000mg per day that is recommended for optimal benefits. A supplement can easily provide these amounts. Cranberry. These little berries are packed with a plethora of health promoting phytonutrients that have anti-inflammatory actions, antioxidant power, and anti-carcinogenic properties; they are also a good source of fermentable fiber (fiber that health-promoting gut bacteria use as food). One of the benefits of cranberry is that it maintains its bioavailability in the gastrointestinal tract, where the colon is easily able to absorb its beneficial compounds. In a mouse model of colon cancer, 12 weeks of cranberry supplementation (freeze-dried cranberry powder added to their regular food) reduced inflammatory cytokines and promoted the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines in the colon, improved gut barrier function (key to overall gut health), reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in colorectal tissue, and overall inhibited intestinal tumor development. An earlier study found that administering cranberry juice for 15 weeks to rats with colon cancer led to a 77 percent reduction in the number of “aberrant crypt foci,” a precursor to polyps that are one of the earliest changes seen in colon cells that may lead to cancer. And finally, in another animal model of colon cancer, mice that ate a diet with a whole-fruit powdered extract added (equivalent to about one cup of cranberries for humans) had about half the number of colon tumors as the mice who had no cranberry extract; the tumors were also smaller.

Vitamin D. According to the American Cancer Society, low vitamin D levels are a risk factor for colon cancer, and studies have shown that higher vitamin D levels are associated with lower colon cancer incidence, reduced polyp recurrence, and are related to better overall survival in those with colon cancer. A recent study showed that women who consumed higher amounts of vitamin D had a significantly lower risk of developing polyps, as well as early-onset colorectal cancer. Vitamin D regulates a number of genes which control the growth, di erentiation, and survival of cancer cells; it also has anti-inflammatory properties. In one study, researchers fed mice what they called a typical Western-style diet—high in fat (40% of total calories) and low in fiber (equivalent to about 9 grams in a human diet). They also gave the mice inadequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D—equivalent to about 220mg/day for calcium and 50 IU/day for vitamin D. Another group received the high-fat, low fiber diet, but adequate levels of calcium and vitamin D (equivalent to the maximum daily intake for adults). After two years, the mice fed the inadequate calcium and vitamin D diet had almost three times as many colon tumors as the control group. Further, the standard diet that included adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D significantly inhibited tumor development, with no tumors found in the colons of the mice in that group.

Note: If you are currently undergoing cancer treatment, please check with your doctor before taking supplements.

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