Medical Minute #6: 3 Plant-based Diets that Lower Risk of Colon Cancer + Summer Sweet Salad

Poop. It’s something we avoid talking about in normal day-to-day conversations. But when the organ that houses said substance becomes diseased, such as in the case of colon cancer, everyone wants to talk about it then. Are you pooping enough? What is the color? Smell?

Prevention Strategies

Colon cancer is estimated to have caused approximately 49,000 deaths in 2016. In the U.S. it’s the 3^rd leading type of cancer. Can it be prevented? Yes, but you must do the following:

Get screened by getting a colonoscopy, preferably starting at age 50 (talk to your HCP about the appropriate age)
If you have evidence of early-disease (e.g. polyps, or pre-cancerous lesions), then talk to your HCP about getting them removed
And of course, lifestyle changes

It’s a Little Late, But Science Now Shows Why Plant-Based Is the Way to Go

Finally, there’s a scientific study where African Americans and Latinos have favorable outcomes when it comes to cancer. Scientists looked at the diets of almost 400,000 people (398,458 adults to be exact). These folks were eating three different types of diet:

Mediterranean Diet (M-D)
Healthy Eating Index (HEI) diet, and
DASH diet

The study results showed the following:

Overall, those who were overweight had a 13% greater risk of a colon cancer diagnosis
Women had 32% less colon cancer diagnosis than men
Over 90% of the study participants were African American, Latino or Asian/Pacific Islander
For any diet chosen, those who followed their particular diet to the “T” had a lower risk of colon cancer by 20 – 35%
When they compared those that did NOT develop colon cancer and those that DID, those that did:
- ate more red and processed meats (e.g. franks, sausages) compared to those that did not develop colon cancer
- ate less green leafy vegetables
- ate fewer grains
- ate less fruit

(Reference: Stone RA, et al. The association of dietary quality with colorectal cancer among normal weight, overweight and obese men and women: a prospective longitudinal study in the USA. BMJ Open. 2017;7: (tbd).

Kick-Starting Your Healthy Eating Game-Plan

So how do you start eating healthier like the folks in this study? Start with this colorful blue-orange salad below, a mixture of green leafy vegetables, fruits and grains. Then download our ‘7 Ways to Conquer Cancer Holistically” mini-guide here for more recipes and tips.

BLUE-ORANGE BREAKFAST SALAD

2 cups Spring Lettuce Mix (2 cups = 1 serving of vegetables)
½ cup of Blueberry Vinaigrette: Recipe follows
½ cup of fresh blueberries: 1/2 cup
½ cup of oranges (sectioned) or canned mandarin oranges, drained
½ cup of whole grains (such as quinoa)
Toss greens, whole grains and blueberries with the vinaigrette
Arrange the orange sections on tops

BLUEBERRY VINAIGRETTE DRESSING (MAKES 2 CUPS, KEEP REFRIGERATED)

1 cup olive oil
1 cup blueberries
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon of powdered stevia
2 teaspoons red onion, minced
¾ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until mixture is smooth

To Your Best Health!

Dee Grace, PhD

Cancer Patient Advocate and Scientist