BUSINESS INSIDER – Colon cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in US men under 50 and the second deadliest cancer for women of the same age.
Being obese, having type two diabetes, and smoking are all associated with a greater colon cancer risk.
However, “they don’t directly necessarily lead to colon cancer,” Dr. Michael Shusterman, a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center in Long Island, told Business Insider.
Shusterman shared three simple changes he has made to help prevent colon cancer.
Eating less red meat
There is a strong association between a diet high in red meat products such as beef, liver, pork, and deli meats and colon cancer, Shusterman said.
Cooking meats at high temperatures or in direct contact with a flame or hot surface, like in barbecuing, also appears to increase risk because it produces more carcinogenic chemicals, according to the World Health Organization.
Although he loves the taste of burgers and liver, around four years ago, Shusterman decided to cut back for his health. Now he very rarely buys red meat and only eats it on special occasions.
Eating more tree nuts
[NOTE: the term ‘tree nuts’ is redundant; all nuts come from trees. The term is used to differentiate true nuts from peanuts, which are legumes, not nuts. – HH]
There is some evidence to suggest that eating tree nuts, such as cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts, and hazelnuts, might reduce the risk of developing colon cancer.
A large study found that people with stage three colon cancer who ate at least two, one-ounce servings of tree nuts a week were less likely to get cancer again or die early than those who didn’t. However, a study review that compared research on the topic found contradictory results.
Even though the data is mixed, some positive association was enough for Shusterman to add more tree nuts to his diet. “It’s not harmful as long as there’s no contraindication to it, essentially,” he said.
Vitamin D
In a similar vein, Shusterman takes vitamin D supplements daily in the hope of reducing his risk. His regular dose is 1,000 to 2,000 International Units …
