Colon cancer study flags red meat

There's convincing evidence that eating too much red meat and processed meat raises colorectal cancer risk and that consuming plenty of fiber from plant-based foods reduces that risk, an international team of researchers reported Monday.

The World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research together produce the Continuous Update Project, which gathers research about various forms of cancer, updating its database every few years.

For this report, scientists at Imperial College London reviewed published studies and ended up adding 263 new papers about colorectal cancer to the 749 that had been analyzed for the last report, issued in 2007. Then an expert panel analyzed all the collected evidence regarding the relationships between diet, weight and physical activity and colorectal cancer.

The report notes that there is "convincing evidence" that:

Red meat, processed meat, excess body fat and fat carried around the waist increase risk of colorectal cancer.

Regular physical activity reduces risk of colorectal cancer.

Foods containing dietary fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans, reduce risk of colorectal cancer; garlic probably does, too, though the evidence for this isn't as strong.

Alcohol increases colorectal cancer risk in men. For women, it probably increases risk.

The report further finds that milk probably reduces colorectal cancer risk (but's not clear how milk consumption affects overall risk) and that dietary supplements containing calcium probably reduce cancer risk, but in general it's best to get such nutrients from foods, not supplements.

-- The Washington Post