Your diet and the inflammatory risk of GI cancer

I’ve had two friends die of stomach cancer in the past five years. Both were barely past 50 years old.

Sadly, they are not the exception.

The number of people in their fifties and younger who are falling victim to gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, particularly bowel cancer, has increased dramatically over the past few decades.

Two large studies, however, indicate simple changes can help any of us avoid becoming another statistic…

Deadly diets fuel GI cancers

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, also considered digestive cancers, are responsible for one in every three cancer deaths worldwide. GI cancers occur anywhere in the digestive system, from the throat to the stomach, pancreas, intestines, rectum and anus.

At Flinders University in Australia, epidemiologist Zegeye Abebe and his colleagues analyzed 28 studies on the relationship between dietary patterns and GI cancers.

Collectively, the studies identified many direct links between poor diet choices and digestive cancers.

According to senior author Dr. Yohannes Melaku from Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI), “Unhealthy dietary patterns, marked by high consumption of red and processed meats, fast foods, refined grains, alcohol and sugary beverages, present a worrying relationship with an increased risk of GI cancers.”

But there’s a way to fix that…

When the team analyzed data from 97,561 people, they found that those who ate a diet high in fiber and unsaturated fats were less likely to develop colorectal cancer.

Dr. Melaku added, “Notably, we found that high-fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables promote healthy gut bacteria that can reduce inflammation. “

Inflammation: A driver of disease

Foods like sugary drinks, processed foods, and red meat are strong contributors to insulin resistance, which in turn makes fat cells release pro-inflammatory cytokines, which signal the immune system to activate an inflammatory response.

It’s a deadly chain reaction that disrupts the gut microbiome as well, allowing harmful bacteria to facilitate a pro-cancer environment, including E. coli, known to affect tumor formation.

Your diet can determine whether inflammation takes control of your body and contributes to cancer risk or not. Your diet can also create a healthy microbiome all along your digestive tract.

So, where should you start?

Fiber, fiber, fiber. We can’t stress this enough. Getting enough fiber in your diet every day is crucial. There are so many foods that are high in fiber, including:

• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Oatmeal
• Apples
• Pears
• Almonds
• Broccoli
• Avocado
• Black beans
• Raspberries
• Whole grains

Antioxidants. A diet rich in antioxidant-rich foods will neutralize free radicals and prevent cancer-causing inflammation. Some antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties include:

• Vitamin C: Found in citrus fruits, broccoli, and strawberries 
• Vitamin E: Present in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds 
• Beta-carotene: Found in carrots, sweet potatoes, and spinach 
• Quercetin: Abundant in berries, onions, and grapes 
• Curcumin: The active compound in turmeric

Avoid processed foods like the plague! Researchers at Tufts and Harvard Universities found that men who indulged in ultra-processed foods were at a 29 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer.

Ultra-processed foods include:

• Sugary drinks
• Ready-to-eat foods
• Processed meats (bacon, etc.)
• Margarine
• Instant soups
• Packaged cookies

If you’re craving sweets, you’re better off opting for dark chocolate, fruit (or fruit dipped in dark chocolate!), applesauce, dates or frozen banana bits.

Making a few conscious changes to your diet can keep you from becoming a cancer statistic.

Sources:

Deadly diets driving digestive diseases — Flinders University News

Association of dietary patterns derived by reduced-rank regression with colorectal cancer risk and mortality — European Journal of Nutrition

Global trend in incidence, death, burden and risk factors of early-onset cancer from 1990 to 2019 — BMJ Oncology