Colon cancer risk isn't lower with a high-fibre diet

We know our diet is a key factor in maintaining optimal health. A High Fiber Diet has always been widely accepted as a healthful and beneficial course of action. A new review raises some doubts.

Eating a diet high in fibre does not reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, but it is still a good idea for heart health and for preventing/controlling diabetes, states the authors of a recent review study.

The concept that fibre may protect against colon cancer is based on the idea that fibrous foods help keep us regular. By massing our bowel wastes, it was thought that insoluble fibre like wheat bran helps the waste to clear our bowels faster, sweeping away carcinogens in the bowel.

Fruits and vegetables contain mostly soluble fibres.
But proof that dietary fibre from fruits and vegetables, cereals or bran reduces the risk of colon cancer has been elusive, with animal studies, population studies and randomized clinical trials showing inconsistent results.

The latest study, published in the Dec. 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, adds even more discouragement.

Yikyung Park, of the Boston Harvard School of Public Health, along with his colleagues analyzed data from 13 international trials involving more than 725,000 men and women who were followed for a period of 6 to 20 years.

During the follow-up, 8,081 colorectal cancer cases were identified.

A diet high in fibre did not reduce the risk of colon cancer, after adjusting for age and other factors such as family history, smoking and red meat intake, Park's team concluded.

"Although high dietary fibre intake may not have a major effect on the risk of colorectal cancer, a diet high in dietary fibre from whole plant foods can be advised because this has been related to lower risks of other chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes," the researchers wrote.

Our opinion is that it is most important for people to incorporate fruits and vegetables in their diet. It's what nature intended. Avoiding as much processed foods as possible in our diets including foods containing white sugar, white flour and especially known carcinogens like Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners. Try to avoid red meats, substituting fish and chicken, soy and tofu products from healthful sources where possible. If you don't put carcinogens in then you won't have to sweep them out.

Barry Stein, president of the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada, changed his diet substantially when he was diagnosed with colon cancer 10 years ago.

Stein said he will stick with the diet changes. For him, the most important step toward decreasing the risk of colon cancer is screening.

"There is nothing like screening that is going to reduce the number of deaths from colorectal cancer," says Stein. "We need that immediately implemented across the country."

As for whether fibre helps prevent other types of cancer, the largest randomized study of diet and breast cancer is now underway. Results should be released early next year.

We'll report back here when the results are published.