Colon Cancer in Women
For women, colon cancer is the third most common form of the disease in the U.S. (after skin and lung cancer), but the key to preventing it could be as simple as changing your eating habits.
Women whose diets were richest in red meat and starches had a 48 percent greater risk of getting the disease than those who ate relatively few of those foods, finds a study from the University of Minnesota. The researchers explain that the compounds in a meat-and-potato diet may interact to trigger tumor growth.
Previous studies have also shown that saturated fat (found in red meat) negatively affects colon health. “When you eat saturated fat, it triggers the release of bile into the intestine,” says Michael Thun, M.D., vice president of epidemiology and surveillance research at the American Cancer Society.
“As the bile is broken down, harmful substances that can damage DNA are released.” He suggests eating fewer than 7 ounces of red meat per week and choosing lean cuts. [source: Shape]
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