Eating To Avoid Colon Cancer
This news comes from a Chinese study that investigated the effect of diet on the risk of colon cancer. Researchers matched 833 colon cancer patients to 833 healthy men and women of the same age and same residential area and collected dietary information from all of them during face-to-face interviews. They found that the risk of colorectal cancer was 79 percent lower in the men and women whose diets contained high amounts of allium vegetables compared with those who consumed low amounts of these vegetables, which include shallots and chives as well as garlic, leeks and onions. Senior author Zhi Li of the First Hospital of China Medical University, noted that “the greater the amount of allium vegetables, the better the protection.” Earlier research has found that regular consumption of these vegetables appears to reduce the risk of stomach, esophageal and prostate cancer. A study published in 2015 cited evidence that the sulfur components of these vegetables may decrease cancer risk by altering the biologic behavior of tumors or precancerous cells.
Source:
Zhi Li et al, “Allium vegetables are associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer: A hospital-based matched case-control study in China.” Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology, February 20, 2019; DOI: 10.1111/ajco.13133
Also in this week’s bulletin:
- Poor Diet = Poor Mental Health
- Why You Should Pick Dessert First
- This week’s recipe: Oven-Roasted Tomatoes