This Popular Diet May Increase Your Risk of Colon Cancer
- Low-carb diets may be linked to an increased risk of colon and colorectal cancers, especially when combined with a low-soluble fiber diet.
Diet culture is, objectively, the worst—and it's probably making you a lot less healthy, sometimes in potentially life-threatening ways.
We all know that a key to good nutrition is generally a balanced diet, with most doctors favoring the Mediterranean and DASH diets , depending on individual patients' needs. However, one diet that's increasingly popular among millennial and Gen Z generations may be doing more harm than good, especially in terms of colon cancer risk. This is especially scary since the number of cases of colorectal cancers in people under the age of 50 has nearly doubled in the last 12 years.
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The Diet Linked to Increased Colon Cancer Risk
According to a new study from the University of Toronto, low-carb diets may be linked to an increased risk of colon and colorectal cancers.
"Colorectal cancer has always been thought of as being caused by a number of different factors including diet, gut microbiome, environment and genetics," says senior author Dr. Alberto Martin, Ph.D. , professor of immunology at University of Toronto's Temerty Faculty of Medicine, said in a Temerty report . "Our question was, does diet influence the ability of specific bacteria to cause cancer?"
Related: 4 Colon Cancer Signs Gastroenterologists and Colorectal Surgeons Are Begging You Not to Ignore
The study examined three different diets, categorized as "normal," "low-carb" and "Western-style" (meaning high in both fat and sugar) and their effects on gut bacteria and colorectal cancer development in mice.
Researchers found that a specific strain of E. coli bacteria in the gut, when combined with a low-carb and low-soluble fiber diet, drove the growth of colon polyps, which can lead to colon cancer. Their findings also indicated that a low-carb diet in mice was correlated to a thinner mucus lining in the gut. The mucus lining in the gut is an important barrier to protect colon cells from certain gut bacteria that can lead to tumors.
Related: The Most Commonly Missed Early Sign of Colon Cancer, According to Gastroenterologists
Can You Have a Low-Carb Diet and Still Protect Yourself Against Colorectal Cancers?
Probably!
There are caveats to this study, not least of which is that the study itself was done on mice and not human beings. It's possible to have a low-carb diet while still consuming a healthy amount of soluble fiber as well. Researchers also found that adding probiotics and soluble fiber to the mice's diet helped to counteract the impacts of the low-carb diet on their gut health.
"We supplemented fiber and saw that it reduced the effects of the low-carb diet," Dr. Martin said. "Now we are trying to find out which fiber sources are more beneficial, and which are less beneficial."
He added, "Our study highlights the potential dangers associated with long-term use of a low-carb, low-fiber diet, which is a common weight-reducing diet. More work is needed but we hope that it at least raises awareness."
Not willing to up your carb intake? Fret not: Check out these low-carb, high-fiber foods to keep your gut healthy and reduce your colorectal cancer risk.
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Related: The One Thing Colon Cancer Doctors Say You Should Never, Ever Do
Sources
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"Dietary fibre counters the oncogenic potential of colibactin-producing Escherichia coli in colorectal cancer." Nature Microbiology .
