Grains and fiber can reduce the risk of colon cancer

Health Net: Eating fiber and whole grains has long been known to help protect you from cardiovascular disease. Not unexpectedly, food, fiber and whole grains can also reduce the risk of colon cancer.

According to a new study, eating more cereal and whole grains can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (colon). The researchers from Imperial College London found that every increase of 10 grams of fiber intake in one day, there will be a reduced risk of colon cancer by 10 percent.

This study is somewhat different from the analysis in 25 previous studies that found that fiber fruits and vegetables do not reduce risk of colon cancer. Latest review the results of this study have been published in the British Medical Journal.

Grains include foods such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, cereal, oatmeal and porridge. From the analysis the researchers found that, there is a linear relationship between dietary fiber and colon cancer.

Intake of fiber in an amount sufficient to have some benefits, says Dagfinn Aune, one of the researchers from the department of epidemiology and Biostatistics at Imperial College London, as reported from BBCNewsHealth on Sunday November 13, 2011.

Adding three servings 90 gram/day of grains in the daily diet can lower colon cancer risk by 20 percent.

A previous study has shown a reduced risk of colon cancer because of high intake of fruits and vegetables. It shows that, other compounds from the fiber in fruits and vegetables may explain the mechanism. The health benefits of increasing intake of fiber from whole grains and not limited on benefits for colon cancer only. It also tends to reduce the risk of heart disease (cardiovascular), type diabetes, and mortality due to obesity.

We recommend that the daily balanced diet of high fiber foods such as grains, cereals fruit and vegetables to reduce the risk of colon cancer, said Mark Flannagan, chief executive of Beating Bowel Cancer.

But according to Yinka Ebo of Cancer Research UK, eating lots of fiber is just one of many things that can be done to reduce the risk of disease.

It must also be done in conjunction with maintaining a healthy weight, be physically active, reducing alcohol, red meat, and not smoking. Wheat products should be made more attractive to buyers, says Prof. Anne Tjonneland from the Danish Cancer Society.

Results were considered to be very useful for healthy diet recommendations daily. However, it still needs to be done several studies to clarify the quantity and type of fiber that must be consumed to reduce the risk of colon cancer.