Essential Nutrition Strategies for Colon Cancer Prevention

March is Colon Cancer Prevention Awareness Month, and The Gut Goddess Gabrielle is passionate about sharing effective prevention strategies. This mission has become even more personal since her mother’s colon cancer diagnosis last November.

According to Gabrielle, colon cancer is becoming more and more common, which is why screening recommendations now begin at age 45. While screening is a crucial practice, there’s a lot that people can do through nutrition and lifestyle to reduce their risk.

The Power of Fiber: Your Colon’s Best Friend

As the colon’s best friend, fiber keeps the digestive system moving, feeds beneficial gut bacteria, reduces inflammation, and helps eliminate toxins.

How to get enough? People can boost their fiber intake with vegetables, fruits, legumes (beans and peas), whole grains, nuts, and seeds. A variety of these foods not only provides fiber but delivers essential vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and antioxidants that nourish tissues and reduce inflammation in the colon.

Follow the Mediterranean Template

According to Gabrielle, the Mediterranean diet is a good template to follow because it focuses on vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices. Then fish is the primary animal protein with many good healthy fats, and very little saturated fat.

This eating pattern emphasizes healthy fats from olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds and olives while minimizing saturated fats. When including red meat, choose leaner cuts and limit processed meats like bacon, sausage, and hot dogs, which have been linked to increased colon cancer risk.

Why Proper Hydration Is Vital

While adding more fiber to your diet is crucial, drinking enough water is also. That’s because water works hand-in-hand with fiber for optimal digestion.

Proper hydration helps prevent constipation, which can increase colon cancer risk by slowing the elimination of toxins.