Doctors This reduces the risk of personal bowel cancer

Exercise and Diet: Lower Colorectal Cancer Risk Through a Healthier Lifestyle

Colorectal carcinoma (colorectal cancer) is one of the most common cancers in Germany. According to medical experts, almost a third of colon cancer cases are based on a familial risk. Often, this cancer is also favored by an unhealthy lifestyle. Health experts explain how the risk of colon cancer can be reduced.

Colorectal cancer risk is influenced by nutrition

In Germany alone, around 26,000 people die each year from colon cancer. The incidence of this type of cancer increases with age, which is why older people should go to the check-up regularly. This is especially important when it comes to colon cancer cases in the family. Of great importance is also the diet. Because this can affect our colon cancer risk, according to research.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers. A healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise can help prevent the cancer. (Image: Alex / fotolia.com)

Healthy lifestyle prevents colon cancer

In addition to age and genetic factors, lack of exercise, tobacco and alcohol consumption, malnutrition is also a risk factor for colorectal cancer.

Above all, the danger of consuming much red meat is repeatedly proven in studies.

In contrast, vegetarians are less likely to get bowel cancer, according to a study by researchers from California's Loma Linda University.

According to another study, fat fish also protects against colon cancer, as does nuts. These even act actively against colorectal cancer, as study results by nutritionists at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena show.

And a study by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston has shown that you can prevent colorectal cancer with a full-fledged diet.

By a third reduced risk

The effectiveness of a healthier lifestyle in the prevention of colorectal cancer was also shown in an older large European long-term study (EPIC) involving over 347,000 adult female and male subjects.

The team of scientists led by Krasimira Aleksandrova and Heiner Boeing from the German Institute for Nutritional Research (DIfE) stated:

"People who are not overweight, who do not smoke, who consume only moderate amounts of alcohol, who are physically active and who eat healthily, have a reduced risk of developing colon cancer or rectal cancer about one-third," states a statement.

According to the study, subjects who had two of the health-promoting traits had a 13 percent reduced risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to those with no or only a favorable lifestyle trait.

If the subjects showed three of the examined characteristics, their risk of illness decreased by 21 per cent, whereby in four characteristics their risk decreased by 34 per cent. If all five characteristics came together, the risk even fell by 37 percent.

Be physically active

The importance of especially physical activity for the prevention of colorectal cancer was emphasized by the DIfE in a further communication.

According to a data analysis, an international research team found that a lot of exercise is associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.

"An observation that could be explained by the beneficial effect of physical activity on waist circumference, metabolic health and vitamin D status," the DIfE writes.

The results showed that the three biological markers waist circumference, vitamin D levels and the blood value of the soluble leptin receptor influence the overall risk relationship between physical activity and colorectal cancer by 45 percent.

"Our study reiterates the importance of being physically active in order to keep the metabolism healthy and prevent diseases such as colorectal cancer," said Aleksandrova, lead author of the study. (Ad)