Think twice about that second holiday cookie

Just in time for holiday indulging, a Danish study of 55,000 middle-aged men and women monitored for an average of 10 years showed a clear association between healthy lifestyle and a lower risk of developing colorectal cancer, according to a study published in a recent British Medical Journal.

“Colorectal cancer is predominantly a disease of Westernized countries, indicating that components of a Western lifestyle may contribute to risk,” researchers wrote in the journal. Yet only three prospective studies had been done—in which people without cancer were monitored over a period of time to see who developed colorectal cancer, and how lifestyle actions compared in those who did and didn’t develop it. And the three previous studies used different lifestyle factors. This study was one of the first to study the impact of five basic healthy behaviors, rather than just one. Read the rest of this entry »

For years we have known that alcohol consumption is one of the risk factors in developing colon cancer particular in women. This week an interesting article was published by Dr. Christopher Forsyth from Rush University Medical Center suggesting that if you have colon cancer and you drink alcohol that colon cancer may spread easier. Read the rest of this entry »

Drinking increases risk for colorectal cancer, but the type of alcoholic drinks don’t appear to make a difference.  Instead, danger seems to come from the alcohol itself rather than other ingredients.

In the Netherlands Cohort Study on diet and cancer,  alcohol consumption and specific alcoholic drinks were studied for more 2,300 people who had colon or rectal cancer. Compared to people who did not drink at all, there was a 30 percent increase in colorectal cancer among people who had 3 or more alcoholic drinks a day. Read the rest of this entry »