Gut Health and Cancer
- According to a new study from Mass General Brigham in Boston, yogurt consumption, over time, may protect you from colorectal cancer, (which starts in the colon or rectum) “through changes in the gut microbiome.” The gut microbiome is the “community of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes, that live in the gastrointestinal tract, mainly in the intestines.”
- What you eat, how much you sleep, and the kinds of bacteria you are exposed to can change the balance between beneficial and harmful microbes in your gut. In addition to yogurt, SurvivorNet’s experts suggest incorporating fruit, vegetables, beans and nuts into your diet for further preventative benefits.
- Risk factors such as smoking and obesity are important in the development of colon cancer before age 50. Up to a third of people who develop cancer at a younger age have a genetic condition that puts them at high risk. Environmental factors may also contribute to younger people developing colon cancer.
- For that reason, it is important for people of all ages to pay attention to changes in their body or bowel habits. Weight loss, blood in the stool, and changes in bowel movements that don’t go away are worth seeing your doctor about.
Known for keeping vaginal health and gut health in check, this fermented food product – with live and active cultures – is found to have even more impactful benefits: helping to prevent colorectal cancer. According to a new study from Mass General Brigham in Boston, yogurt consumption, over time, may protect you from this disease (that starts in the colon or rectum) “through changes in the gut microbiome.”
Read More“This study provides evidence for beneficial effect of yogurt intake on health (while the same cohorts had generated data supporting negative health effect of sugar and refined carbohydrates). So we recommended the use of plain yogurt not sweetened yogurt,” Dr. Ogino tells SurvivorNet.
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As far as the exact amount people would need to consume, “we need additional studies to find out details of exact impact of yogurt intake,” Dr. Ogino said, noting that “moderation,” however, may be better than “excessive intake.”
The study used data collected from following participants “for decades.” And only about 30% of those patients who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer had “detectable Bifidobacterium in their tumor tissue.” Bifidobacterium are known to have antitumor effects.
According to Mass General Brigham’s results published in Gut Microbes, “participants were categorized according to the cumulative average of yogurt intake.”
The study “was based on two ongoing U.S.-wide prospective cohort studies.”
The Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS). “The NHS recruited 121,700 female registered nurses aged 30 to 55 in 1976 and the HPFS enrolled 51,529 male health professionals aged 40 to 75 in 1986.”
They saw a “20 percent lower rate of incidence for participants who consumed two or more servings of yogurt a week,” the study said, therefore “in our primary hypothesis testing, the association between long-term yogurt intake and colorectal cancer incidence statistically significantly differed by Bifidobacterium abundance.”
Explaining the reasons why yogurt is good for gut health, Dr. Ogino tells SurvivorNet, “We speculate that certain bacterial species could help maintain healthy intestinal microbiome and tissue homeostasis,” which means a stable environment in the body.
“In addition, calcium intake has been shown good for overall health,” Dr. Ogino added. “One cautious aspect is that it also contains animal fat, which has been shown to have adverse health effect[s], especially on cardiovascular health.”
Learning More About Gut Health
What you eat, how much you sleep, and the kinds of bacteria you are exposed to can change the balance between beneficial and harmful microbes in your gut.
That’s why researchers like Dr. Ogino (and experts from several other fields) are interested in learning how this balance influences things such as heart disease, arthritis and dementia.
What’s the Fuss About the Gut Microbiome and Cancer?
Krista Maruschak, a registered dietician at the Cleveland Clinic, previously told SurvivorNet that in addition to yogurt, other foods like kefir, sauerkraut or kombucha, can also help balance your system.
“These healthy, fermented foods add to the good bacteria in your gut,” she said.
Your Diet Matters
In addition to scheduling regular colonoscopies (the screening method for detecting colorectal cancer, which is also referred to as CRC), people should also pay high attention to what the put into their bodies.
A JAMA study back in 2021 found “convincing evidence for an association between lower CRC risk and higher intakes of dietary fiber, dietary calcium, and yogurt and lower intakes of alcohol and red meat.
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Here are more foods to include in your diet to prevent colon cancer:
- Fruits, which are rich in antioxidants
- Whole grains, which provide fiber that, in turn, fights bacteria in your colon
- Nuts, as they contain healthy fatty acids that are necessary for a healthy colon
- Beans, which offer an essential blend of fiber, protein, and vitamins
- Vegetables, especially green veggies, which are full of fiber and minerals
What Increases Your Risk for Colon Cancer?
Risk factors are things that make you more likely to get colon cancer. They don’t mean that you’ll definitely get this cancer — only that you may be more likely to be diagnosed.
You may be at greater risk for colon cancer if you:
- Are older. About 90% of cases are in people age 50 or older, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). Yet it is possible to get this cancer earlier in life.
- Have inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can, over time, cause cells in your intestines to turn cancerous.
- Have a family history of this cancer. Just under one-third of people who get colon cancer have family members with the disease.
- Have a gene mutation. About 5% of colorectal cancers are caused by an inherited genetic mutation that causes syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome).
- Don’t exercise very often. Staying active can lower your risk.
- Eat a diet that’s high in meat (there’s that meat again). Regularly eating red meats like burgers and steaks, and processed meats such as hot dogs and bacon might put you at higher risk. As noted, eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains instead might lower your risk.
- Are overweight or obese. Having too much weight increases your risk of both getting colon cancer, and of dying from it.
- Drink a lot of alcohol. Limiting alcohol to one drink a day for women and two drinks daily for men could help lower your risk.
- Use tobacco. Long-term smokers are more likely to get this cancer than are nonsmokers.
Risk factors such as smoking and obesity are important in the development of colon cancer before age 50. Up to a third of people who develop cancer at a younger age have a genetic condition that puts them at high risk. Environmental factors may also contribute to younger people developing colon cancer.
For that reason, it is important for people of all ages to pay attention to changes in their body or bowel habits. Weight loss, blood in the stool, and changes in bowel movements that don’t go away are worth seeing your doctor about.
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