Praktikos Institute

Good news: If you’re a fan of probiotics, another health benefit has been added to the ranks, this time concerning lowered colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. A known immune booster, probiotics also hinder harmful pathogens in the gut that can lead to cellular mutations. Not only that, certain species of beneficial bacteria form conjugated linoleic acid in the colon, which may inhibit the development of cancer through anti-inflammatory action.

Good news: If you’re a fan of probiotics, another health benefit has been added to the ranks, this time concerning lowered colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. A known immune booster, probiotics also hinder harmful pathogens in the gut that can lead to cellular mutations. Not only that, certain species of beneficial bacteria form conjugated linoleic acid in the colon, which may inhibit the development of cancer through anti-inflammatory action.

Previous research has suggested that a diet rich in fiber may reduce the risk of colon inflammation and cancer. But new research suggests that niacin, also known as vitamin B3, may also help protect against these conditions.

A tiny, transparent fish embryo and a string of surprises led scientists to a deeper understanding of the perplexing link between low calcium and colon cancer. By studying zebrafish embryo skin, University of Michigan researchers decoded cell messages underlying abnormal colonic cell growth of the kind that can lead to tumors and colon cancer in calcium deficient individuals. They have also tested this new mechanism in human colon cancer cells.

Much to the dismay of many pharmaceutical giants and doctors who reap big rebate checks from recommending chemotherapy treatments, Nigella sativa has been proven over and over again to successfully treat cancer without the use of conventional treatments. Nigella sativa has been shown to be effective against numerous cancers, such as pancreatic, colon, prostate, breast and even brain cancers. Indeed, Nigella sativa is cancer’s worst nightmare and a ray of hope for people who may have died otherwise.

University of Illinois scientists have evidence that lifelong exposure to genistein, a bioactive component in soy foods, protects against colon cancer by repressing a signal that leads to accelerated growth of cells, polyps, and eventually malignant tumors.

Soy peptide lunasin was found to reduce colon cancer metastasis in mice, say researchers. “In this new study, we find that giving lunasin orally at 20 mg/kg of body weight reduced the number of metastatic tumors by 94 percent—we went from 18 tumors to only one. And that was done using lunasin alone; no other type of therapy was used,” said Elvira de Mejia, a U of I professor of food chemistry and food toxicology.

Starchy foods aren’t all bad, despite fears that carbohydrates lead to weight gain and other diseases. Researchers as University of Colorado say resistant starches are especially important to help fight colorectal cancer that happens in surprisingly simple, yet effective ways at a cellular level.

Decline in memory and normal thought processes, as well as increased risk for digestive cancers are ever present on the minds of many aging adults. Degenerative brain health leading to Alzheimer’s dementia and a lifetime of poor diet precipitate increased risk for colon cancer, both chronic conditions that are easily prevented by maintaining adequate magnesium stores at the cellular level through supplementation and healthy diet.

A new study in the British Journal of Nutrition found daily supplementation with an omega-3 triglyceride (TG) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may decrease the risk of colon cancer. The randomized, double blind trial, “Effects of EPA, y-linolenic acid or coenzyme Q10 on serum prostate,” analyzed the effects of the three ingredients on serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in healthy Iranian men (Br J Nutr. 2012 Nov 30:1-8).