A Simple Diet Change Could Slash The Risk of Bowel Cancer in Men, Study Finds

The benefits of plant-based foods include lower risks of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 Diabetes. Some types of cancer can be prevented by eating fruit and vegetables regularly.

A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds is associated with a 22 percent lower risk of colorectal cancer compared to those who eat less plant-based food.

Scientists don't know why some foods are linked to better bowel health but they have a few ideas.

Reducing the consumption of animal-based foods, refined grains, and sugars could provide lifetime benefits.

There was no link between plant-based diet and colorectal cancer in 93,476 women.

Jihye Kim, a researcher in nutrition and dietetics at Kyung Hee University in South Korea, theorizes that eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains could lower colorectal cancer risk by suppressing chronic inflammation.

"As men tend to have a higher risk of colorectal cancer than women, we propose that this could explain why eating more plant-based foods was associated with reduced colorectal cancer risk in men but not women."

Women consume more plant foods than men, so eating more fruits and vegetables may not increase protection from cancer. The health benefits of a plant-based diet may have been maxed out by this group of women.

Sex discrepancies have been found in previous studies.

Men who ate relatively little meat were less likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The benefits were not seen by women.

The study focused on levels of meat in the diet, not the amount of plant-based food. Reduction in meat consumption doesn't mean an increase in healthier options.

Some plant-based foods are better for your health than others. Whole grains, vegetables, and cereals have been shown to reduce cancer risk in prior studies.

The current study didn't differentiate between different types of animal-based foods, which is a limitation given that some foods, like fish and dairy, may be good for you. The long-term study participants had their diet assessed using a questionnaire which did not include lifelong food intake.

There is a multiethnic cohort from Hawaii and Los Angeles.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world but not everyone is at risk. African Americans have a higher risk of colorectal cancer than Japanese American and White men, according to a study.

White men who ate the most healthy plant-based foods were less likely to get colorectal cancer later in life. The risk was lowered among Japanese American men.

The authors theorize that the differences in non- dietary lifestyle risk factors may be the reason for the pattern of association.

African American men had higher rates of smoking and being overweight than did Japanese American and White men.

There are different genetic and environmental factors that may be playing into colorectal cancer rates.

There was a study published.