Will frequent constipation lead to colon cancer? Must-eat cabbage: 3 types of good anti-cancer foods

Colorectal cancer has topped the list of the top ten cancers in China for 10 consecutive years, and it is also the cancer with the highest incidence. Staying away from the risk factors of colorectal cancer is the key to avoiding colorectal cancer. There is a rumor on the Internet: "People who suffer from frequent constipation are more likely to develop colon cancer." Is this true? If you want to effectively prevent colorectal cancer, it is recommended to consume three major types of anti-cancer foods: cabbage, beef and tomatoes.

Could frequent constipation lead to colon cancer? The truth is…

Many people believe that constipation may lead to colorectal cancer. The main reason may be that feces stay in the intestines for too long, which easily produces carcinogens and causes intestinal cancer, or constipation causes the feces to be too hard and repeatedly rub against the colon wall, causing inflammation and colorectal cancer. In fact, testing of feces excreted due to constipation has not yet revealed any substances that cause cancer, and the colon wall itself secretes mucus, which makes it less susceptible to friction and injury.

Most current research literature points out that there is no correlation between constipation and the incidence of colorectal cancer. In other words, even people with normal bowel movements may suffer from colorectal cancer. So what risk factors increase the risk of colorectal cancer? How can people protect themselves from colorectal cancer?

Carcinogenic factors of colorectal cancer: obesity, smoking, drinking, irregular exercise, etc.

Nutritionist You Weiming explained that according to empirical data, the occurrence of colorectal cancer is not caused by a single reason. The carcinogenic factors of colorectal cancer include: smoking, drinking, unhealthy diet, irregular exercise, overweight and obesity, radiation, etc. In addition, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) analyzed the results related to increased risk of colorectal cancer, including: excessive intake of red meat, excessive intake of processed meat products, intake of more than 2 servings of alcohol per day, and obesity and overweight.

Some small studies have also pointed out that long-term intake of excessive saturated fat and a low-fiber diet can also make people more likely to develop colorectal cancer. People who do not like to exercise have a higher risk of colorectal cancer than those who exercise regularly. Therefore, it is a wrong concept to simply think that constipation can cause colorectal cancer.

Does eating Guilinggao help moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements? The truth is…

In addition, there is a saying on the Internet: eating "guilinggao" can help moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements. For example, some elderly people have drier intestines and habitual constipation, and eating guilinggao regularly can help with bowel movements. Is this true? Nutritionist You Weiming explained that the main ingredients of tortoise jelly are tortoise shell and several Chinese herbs. After a long period of boiling to produce the animal glue and Chinese herbs, they will solidify into blocks when cooled. Since the Chinese herbs used in making tortoise jelly may be different for each family, people who eat tortoise jelly may experience a bowel movement due to the effects of the Chinese herbs.

In fact, if you want to promote bowel movements, you can easily do it through your daily diet. As long as people eat more foods rich in dietary fiber and drink enough water every day for a week, they can increase the volume and softness of stool, stimulate intestinal peristalsis, and achieve the purpose of normal bowel movements.

To prevent colorectal cancer, you must eat 3 foods that can improve your resistance to colorectal cancer

To effectively prevent colorectal cancer, nutritionist You Weiming recommends the following 3 foods that can improve colorectal cancer resistance:

1. One of the good foods to improve colon cancer resistance is to supplement antioxidant foods:

Allicin in garlic, glucosinolate in cabbage, lycopene in tomato, triterpenoids in bitter melon, quercetin in apple, polyphenols in banana, vegetables and fruits of various colors are rich in antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation and prevent colorectal cancer.

2. The second good food to improve the ability of intestinal cancer is to supplement probiotic raw food:

Intestinal saprophytes metabolize bile acid to produce carcinogens, while some probiotics can use dietary fiber to produce short-chain fatty acids. These short-chain fatty acids can inhibit the growth of saprophytes. Therefore, the more probiotics in the intestines, the healthier the body. According to an animal experiment in the UK, probiotics can reduce the number of saprophytes in the intestines and interfere with the damage of carcinogens attacking normal cells, while dietary fiber helps to increase intestinal probiotics, promote intestinal peristalsis, increase stool volume and accelerate the excretion of carcinogens in the body, thereby reducing the chance of carcinogens in food coming into contact with the large intestine.

Common probiotics in our daily life are found in fermented foods, such as yogurt, lactic acid bacteria drinks, kimchi, natto, miso, fermented black beans, cheese, red wine, and sweet rice wine. Substances that help increase intestinal probiotics include dietary fiber, oligosaccharides, inulin, etc. in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, which we call probiotics.

3. The third good food to improve colon cancer resistance is to supplement whole grain high-fiber foods:

If food stays in the intestines for too long, it is easy to produce carcinogens. In particular, the longer grilled and processed meats stay in the body, the greater the harm, and the chance of developing colorectal cancer is greatly increased. Therefore, the National Health Service recommends that adults should consume 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber per day. Sufficient high-fiber foods can not only provide the nutrients needed by intestinal probiotics, but also accelerate the elimination of carcinogens from the body.

High-fiber foods are usually rich in anti-cancer nutrients, such as: whole grains (brown rice, five-grain rice, purple and black rice, sweet potato, taro, pumpkin, yam), vegetables (broccoli, spinach, bell pepper, asparagus), fruits (grapes, tomatoes, papaya, oranges), and mushrooms (white mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms).

Stay away from colorectal cancer and develop healthy living habits and good eating patterns

If people want to stay away from colorectal cancer, the key is to develop healthy living habits and a good diet. Nutritionist You Weiming recommends that you master the following three major principles:

First, exercise more, weigh yourself every day, and maintain a healthy body posture.

Second, reduce the intake of fried, grilled, processed meat and red meat.

Third, conduct fecal occult blood tests using the new immune method regularly every two years. People should always maintain their health, detect diseases early and seek early treatment. Maintaining intestinal health is the key.