The better you eat, the more likely you are to get colon cancer
Professor Yu said, taking a high-fat diet as an example, its other name is a "catalyst" for colorectal cancer. Americans are fond of fried foods, dark red meats (beef, lamb, chicken), and smoked and grilled foods. These high-fat foods contain large amounts of saturated fatty acids, which can easily lead to a disorder in the composition of the intestinal flora, promoting the formation and development of carcinogens. In contrast, the incidence of colorectal cancer in Asian countries such as China and Japan is significantly lower than in the United States, mainly due to lower fat intake. Therefore, limiting fat intake to less than 30% of total calories is the main method for preventing colorectal cancer.
In addition, other risk factors for colorectal cancer should be taken seriously. High-risk groups who have had appendicitis surgery, a history of colon adenomas, or a family history of intestinal cancer should pay attention to their bowel conditions and undergo a colonoscopy once a year.
Changes in bowel habits, such as increased frequency of bowel movements or constipation, are early symptoms of colorectal cancer. If symptoms such as blood in the stool, anemia, weight loss, fatigue, and low-grade fever have already appeared, it means the disease has progressed to the middle or late stage, and a colonoscopy or X-ray barium enema should be performed as soon as possible to confirm the diagnosis.
Let fiber brush your intestines
Dietary fiber is called a "non-nutritious" nutrient by nutritionists because its function cannot be replaced by other nutrients. A lack of dietary fiber prolongs the time stool stays in the intestine, causing the intestine to reabsorb waste and leading to prolonged stimulation of the intestinal wall by carcinogens in the stool. Therefore, fiber is called the cleaner of the intestine. It acts like a small brush, promoting intestinal peristalsis, cleaning up garbage and waste in the intestine, reducing the time carcinogens stay in the intestine, and thus lowering the risk of developing colorectal cancer.
The American Cancer Society recommends a daily intake of 30-40 grams of dietary fiber per person; the standard daily intake for people under 70 in Japan is 19-27 grams; and the recommended standard in China is 30 grams of dietary fiber per day.
So, how many grams of fresh fruits and vegetables contain 30 grams of dietary fiber? Generally speaking, it is equivalent to about 10 apples, 19 bananas, 2 jin (1 kg) of celery, 6 tomatoes, etc. Obviously, it is very difficult for the average person to achieve such an intake. However, eating more foods rich in fiber, even if not reaching the standard amount, will play a very important role in preventing colorectal cancer. In addition, coarse grains such as corn, millet, barley, wheat bran (rice bran), and wheat flour (the ingredient for dark bread) have higher fiber content; and vegetables such as carrots, green beans, peas, and potatoes are also high-energy foods for fiber.