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Diets rich in meat may lead to colon cancer

Updated: 2009-03-31 20:29:11 CST Category: Colon

People who have a diet rich in meat and fats, as well as being low in complex carbohydrates, may have an increased risk of developing colon cancer, according to new research.

The diet, which professor Stephen O'Keefe described as the typical Western one, can produce sulphur, which decreases the activity of "good" bacteria in the body and lead toward developing the disease.

"Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in adults in Westernized communities," O'Keefe said. "Our results suggest that a diet that maintains the health of the colon wall is also one that maintains general body health and reduces heart disease."

The researchers found that a diet rich in fiber and resistant starch can lessen the risk of colon cancer.

News of the research comes toward the end of National Colon Cancer Awareness month where organizations such as the American Cancer Society urged people who may be at risk of the disease to get cancer testing.

People whose colon cancers are found at an early stage through lab testing have five-year survival rates of 90 percent, according to ACS.

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