A diet that includes dairy products, bread, cereal, fruits and vegetables may help women prevent cancers of the colon and rectum, according to Columbia University scientists.
These foods-rich in fiber and vitamin A-reduce the likelihood of developing small growths in the colon called adenomatous polyps. These growths frequently indicate cancer of the colon or rectum may occur.
Approximately 7 percent of Americans get colon or rectal cancer, and the vast majority of cases arise from adenomatous polyps, Columbia associate professor of medicine Alfred Neugut and his co-researchers reported recently in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
A study of nearly 2,000 men and women indicated the polyps seem to be related to diets loaded with calories, saturated fat and red meat.
In contrast, the fiber-and-vitamin-A diet prevents polyps from occurring and, for those who have them removed, prevents their reccurrence.
The diet-polyp link doesn’t occur in men, the researchers noted, possibly because male hormones may diminish the colon and rectal cancer threat. –