Fiber-rich diet may reduce colon cancer risk

(NaturalNews) The numbers, quite frankly, are grim: Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in America and the fourth leading cause of cancer death globally. And even if the colon cancer is not fatal, it can lead to radiation or chemotherapy as well as surgical removal of the colon and the placement of a colostomy bag, which can seriously impact the quality of life for these cancer survivors. That is why so much research in recent years has gone into discovering ways that this cancer can be prevented in the first place. It has long been suspected that a typical American diet - with its reliance on meat and starches - can raise the risk of colon cancer development. And this new study illustrates clearly how important the link between diet and this disease really is.

Intriguing new research

This elegantly done study was a collaborative effort between researchers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and those in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The researchers chose 20 African-American men and women in Pittsburgh and 20 men and women of African descent living in KwaZulu-Natal to participate in this study that looked at the link between diet and colon cancer risk.

Before this study began, researchers performed an analysis of the gut microbes in each participant. In other words, they looked at the kind of bacteria living in the digestive tract of every patient in the study. Every patient also underwent a colonoscopy, or visual study of the colon, during which it was discovered that nine out of the 20 Americans had colon polyps (which can become cancerous) while 0 out of the 20 South Africans had the same problem. Then the study itself began.
source-naturalnews