Vegetarian diet linked to reduced risk of colon cancer

(NaturalNews) Colon cancer is a serious issue in the United States, particularly for those over 50. It is one of the most frequently diagnosed forms of this disease. Even if it is not fatal, it can often have serious consequences. One common treatment for colon cancer is colon re-sectioning, which is the surgical removal of the diseased portion of the colon. This can sometimes lead to the need for the placement of a colostomy bag, or a small plastic apparatus which hangs from a surgical opening in the abdomen and which collects fecal material. Needless to say, colostomy placement has serious repercussions for a person's psychological, sexual and social life. However, the good news is that colon cancer risk can be reduced with modifiable lifestyle choices. One of these choices is to eliminate or reduce red meat in the diet. Another, according to recent research, appears to be a vegetarian diet.

New research from Loma Linda

This new study is coming from researchers at Loma Linda University in California. This large study, later published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) looked at the dietary habits of more than 70,000 participants. What they found was this:

People who consumed a strict vegetarian diet showed a 22 percent lower risk of colon cancer, and people who consumed a vegetarian diet but also consumed fish regularly showed a whopping 43 percent reduced risk.

In short, what is called the "pescovegetarian" diet seems to be the ideal one to combat the risk of colon cancer.

Why vegetarian and pescovegetarian diets work?

Why does this kind of diet seem to work so well for reducing colon cancer risk? Researchers believe that one of the reasons why this kind of diet seems so effective for colon cancer risk reduction is that this kind of eating regimen may be able to reduce both insulin and insulin-like growth factors; this is significant, because in the past, other studies have linked high levels of these to a greater risk of colon cancer.

Another reason is more speculative: There may be some component to meat - especially red meat - that encourages the growth of colon cancer cells. Scientists acknowledge that further research should be done on this subject to discover more about this relationship. Thirdly, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is going to likely be a diet that is also rich in nutrients like fiber, calcium and folate. In the past, research has linked these nutrients - especially fiber - to a reduced colon cancer risk.

In short, colon cancer is a serious problem in the United States, mostly because of the typical American diet. The good news is, however, that this is entirely modifiable. People who cut out red meat from the diet and instead consume a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables and also includes moderate amounts of fish can greatly reduce their risk for developing this serious - and sometimes deadly - disease.

Sources:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com

http://www.health.harvard.edu

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com

About the author:
Sofiya has written articles on most health-related topics, including traditional medicine, alternative and naturopathic and natural treatments,health insurance, wellness, medical marijuana, diets and fitness.