Defeating colon cancer

Increasing folic acid intake and decreasing alcohol help beat the risk for those with a family history of colon cancer. According to previous studies have shown that colon cancer often runs in families. If you have a sibling or parent with the disease, you can opt for regular colon exams, cut down on red meat and eat lots of fruit and vegetables to reduce your cancer risk.

According to researchers in the medical University of Texas, they highlighted how dietary intervention helps those with a family history of colon cancer. The research covered nearly 50,000 female nurses whose family history of dietary habits were known. This showed that those who had a genetic risk of colon cancer were two and a half times more likely to develop the disease, compared to the general population, if they consumed a diet low in folic acid.

But those women whose diet was high in folic acid, and low in alcohol, were protected. Even if they had a family history of colon cancer, they were at no greater risk of getting the disease. This provides a rationale for a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, and also for possibly considering a folic acid supplement. The study may also shed new light on the biology of colon cancer, stimulating further research.