Colon Cancer Is Driven by Inflammation, Poor Diet Here’s What to Eat Instead

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9 months ago

December 16, 2024

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Share on Pinterest The Western diet, which is high in ultra-processed foods, is a major cause of chronic inflammation. Kseniya Ovchinnikova/Getty ImagesA new study found higher levels of inflammation in colorectal cancer tumors, suppressing the bodys ability to fight the disease.Researchers note the typical Western diet is a driver of inflammation, while other studies have linked ultra-processed foods to inflammation.Experts recommend limiting or avoiding ultra-processed foods to reduce cancer risk, opting for healthier choices including whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

A new analysis of colorectal cancer tumors shows they have higher levels of inflammation and lack a natural ability to resolve the inflammation.

The study, published December 10 in the journal Gut, examined 162 tumor samples from people with colorectal cancer. The findings indicate the lipid profile of colorectal cancer tumors exhibit a distinct pro-inflammatory bias.

The researchers suggest employing resolution medicine as a treatment for colorectal cancer to reverse inflammation and restore the bodys healing mechanisms. They also note the typical Western diet has been strongly linked to chronic inflammation and the development and progression of colorectal cancer.

Geoffrey Buckle, MD, a gastrointestinal oncologist at UCSF Health in San Francisco, noted the findings have the potential to expand the knowledge of cancer and inflammation. Buckle wasnt involved in the study.

This is a fascinating study that looks at inflammatory changes in colorectal cancer and begins to paint a picture of how inflammation may arise in and around tumors, Buckle said.

Interestingly, it also explores the ways in which inflammation could be a target for future cancer treatment. This work is both interesting and very important. We have long suspected a link between inflammation and cancer, but little is known about the mechanistic underpinnings of this link. This study adds to a growing body of literature suggesting inflammation may play an important role in cancer development, he told Healthline. Do ultra-processed foods raise colon cancer risk?

In the United States, ultra-processed foods comprise more than 50% of daily caloric intake by adults. Ultra-processed foods are also a driver of inflammation.

Many things can increase the risk of inflammation in the body and since inflammation is the basis of many diseases, including cancer, finding anti-inflammatory approaches to offset inflammatory levels (such as limiting ultra-processed foods) and replacing them with foods that reduce inflammation make sense in light of the studys findings, Kristin Kirkpatrick, a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Department of Wellness & Preventive Medicine in Ohio, told Healthline. Kirkpatrick wasnt involved in the new study.

Wael Harb, MD, a hematologist and medical oncologist at MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast and Saddleback Medical Centers in California, not involved in the study, explained that ultra-processed foods not only lead to chronic inflammation but also immune suppression, creating an environment conducive to cancer development and progression.

The study published in Gut provides compelling evidence linking ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to an increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and a diminished capacity for the body to combat the disease, Harb told Healthline. How diet affects cancer risk

For years, health experts have said the traditional Western diet followed by many people in the U.S. can raise a persons risk of a number of cancers.

Theyve also noted that diet is important for a person before, during, and after treatment for colorectal cancer.

Ultra-processed foods, including sweetened breakfast cereals, candy, white bread, and chips, have been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. These foods are also linked to an increased risk of obesity as well as cognitive decline.

Diet is a significant factor and I will add that diet is also a modifiable risk (which differs from age, genetics, etc.), Kirkpatrick said.

What we see from the data is that the risk for colorectal cancer related to your dietary pattern is not just what you consume regularly but also about what you limit. For example, high-fiber, high nutrient dense foods can help reduce risk, while processed red meat can increase risk. Regular physical activity, not smoking, and limiting alcohol intake are also modifiable factors, she explained.

Anton Bilchik, MD, a surgical oncologist as well as chief of medicine and the director of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Program at Providence Saint Johns Cancer Institute in California, agrees there are other important elements in addition to diet. Bilchik wasnt involved in the study.

There are several risk factors in the development of colorectal cancer. These include diet, obesity, family history and physical inactivity. All are important factors but there are likely many other risk factors that are yet to be defined, Bilchik told Healthline.

Harb is also in agreement. While diet is a significant modifiable risk factor for CRC, other factors such as genetic predisposition, family history, age, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and obesity also play crucial roles, he said. A comprehensive approach to CRC prevention should address all these elements.

Harb added its also important to follow a healthy diet while undergoing cancer treatment.

Maintaining a healthy diet during CRC treatment is vital, he said. Proper nutrition supports the immune system, enhances tolerance to treatment, and improves overall well-being. Patients should focus on easily digestible foods, such as lean proteins, certain vegetables, and low-fat dairy, while ensuring adequate hydration.

It is essential to maintain a healthy balanced diet during treatment because the immune system depends on nutrients to either eliminate cancer cells or prevent them from returning, Bilchik added.

Buckle listed some cautions when it comes to diet during cancer treatment.

We certainly encourage patients to try to eat healthy while they are being treated for colorectal cancer, but I also caution patients that adopting dietary changes when undergoing active cancer treatment can be challenging and likely has a small benefit at best, he said.

There have been a number of studies looking at specific diets during cancer treatment such as ketogenic diet, Mediterranean diet, intermittent fasting, among others, and while studies have showed promising signals of benefit, further research is needed before ready for primetime or adopting as standard of care. While I do recommend patients try to eat healthy, I also remind patients that its OK to rely on comfort foods during treatment, particularly when dealing with some of the adverse effects of chemotherapy (e.g., loss of appetite, nausea, taste changes), Buckle noted. The best foods to lower cancer risk

To reduce cancer risk, Kirkpatrick recommended foods higher in fiber such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables as well as foods in the allium family such as onions, garlic, and leeks.

Harb suggested getting adequate fiber and antioxidants daily. To lower CRC risk, I recommend a diet rich in unprocessed foods, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and lean proteins like fish and poultry, he said.

These foods are high in fiber and antioxidants, which promote healthy digestion and support the gut microbiome, potentially offering protective effects against CRC. Limiting the intake of red and processed meats, as well as sugary and ultra-processed foods, is also advisable, Harb added.

Fruits, vegetables, foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids such as salmon as well as foods with a high fiber content are all important to reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer, Bilchik noted.

We generally recommend that individuals drink alcohol in moderation, avoid tobacco use, and limit dietary intake of red and processed meat (e.g., sausages, bacon, ham, beef jerky, and other forms of meat that are smoked, salted fermented, or cured), Buckle said.

We recommend adequate dietary fiber and calcium intake. We also recommend a diet with regular fruit and vegetable intake. What to know about colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) notes that the diagnosis rate and the death rate for colorectal cancer has been decreasing in the United States since the 1980s.

The ACS attributes the decline to increased screening and adjustments in lifestyle factors. However, they add that most of the decrease has occurred in older adults while the rates among younger adults have been rising.

Earlier this year, it was reported that early onset colorectal cancer in adults under the age of 50 has increased from less than 5 cases per 100,000 people in 1994 to 10 cases per 100,000 people in 2021.

The American College of Physicians now recommends people start getting screened for colorectal cancer at age 50. Takeaway

Researchers say chronic inflammation raises the risk of colorectal cancer as well as suppresses the bodys ability to fight the disease.

The Western diet, which is laden with ultra-processed foods, is a major cause of chronic inflammation.

Experts recommend limiting ultra-processed foods and consuming natural and healthier foods such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

World

Vladimir Putin sends grave warning to Ukraine’s allies over Western troop deployment

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2 hours ago

September 6, 2025

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Vladimir Putin sends grave warning to Ukraine's allies over Western troop deployment

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said any foreign troops operating as part of a peacekeeping force in Ukraine would be considered a “legitimate target” by Moscow.

It comes a day after French President Emmanuel Macron said 26 of Ukraine’s allies had formally committed to deploying troops “by land, sea or air” to help guarantee Kyiv’s security the day after any ceasefire or peace is achieved.

Mr Macron stressed any troops would be deployed to prevent “any new major aggression” and not at the frontline, adding the force does “not have the will or the objective of waging war against Russia”.

Mr Putin quickly poured cold water on the proposals when speaking at an economic forum in Russia’s eastern Vladivostok region on Friday.

Directly responding to Mr Macron’s comments, he said: “If any troops appear there, especially now, during military operations, we proceed from the fact that these will be legitimate targets for their destruction.

“And if decisions are reached that lead to peace, to long-term peace, then I simply do not see any sense in their presence on the territory of Ukraine, full stop.”

Russia has long argued that one of its reasons for going to war in Ukraine was to prevent NATO from admitting Kyiv as a member and placing its forces in Ukraine.

Speaking today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was important that security guarantees “start working now, during the war, and not only after it ends”.

On Thursday, NATO chief Mark Rutte said Russia had no veto on Western troops being deployed to Ukraine: “Why are we interested in what Russia thinks about troops in Ukraine? It’s a sovereign country. It’s not for them to decide.”

‘Please come to Moscow’

Mr Putin also addressed the chances of a direct meeting between himself and Mr Zelesnkyy aimed at ending the war.

Such a proposal looked positive after the Russian met Donald Trump in Alaska last month, but Mr Putin said on Friday he did not see much point in such a meeting because “it will be practically impossible to reach an agreement with the Ukrainian side on key issues”.

However, he reiterated an offer he made earlier this week to host Mr Zelenskyy for talks in Moscow, which Ukraine’s defence minister previously declared as “knowingly unacceptable”.

“I said: ‘I’m ready, please, come, we will definitely provide working conditions and security, a 100% guarantee’,” Mr Putin said.

“But if they tell us: ‘we want to meet with you, but you have to go somewhere else for this meeting’, it seems to me that these are simply excessive requests on us.”

Speaking at a news conference in Paris on Thursday, Mr Zelenskyy said US mediators informed him about Mr Putin’s invitation.

“Our American partners told us that Putin invited me to Moscow, and I believe that if you want to avoid a meeting, you should invite me to Moscow,” he said.

However, he said the fact that the issue of organising a meeting arose was “not bad”.

Drone strikes continue

While talks to end the war continue at a diplomatic level, more heavy drone strikes were recorded across Ukraine.

Kyiv’s air force said Moscow attacked Ukraine overnight with 157 strike and decoy drones, as well as seven missiles of various types.

Air defences shot down or jammed 121 of the drones, it said, but 35 drones and seven missiles still struck 10 locations.

Elsewhere, Russian troops destroyed 92 Ukrainian drones overnight, according to its defence ministry.

Local social media channels in the city of Ryazan, approximately 200 kilometres (125 miles) southeast of Moscow, reported that the city’s Rosneft oil refinery had been targeted. Ryazan’s regional governor said that drone debris had fallen on an “industrial enterprise” but did not give further details.

Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian oil infrastructure that it says fuels Moscow’s war effort in recent months.

Military analyst Professor Michael Clarke said Ukraine’s campaign on Russia’s oil refineries has been a successful one so far, but doubts it will hurt Moscow’s war machine too much.

“Will that directly affect the war? Probably not. Because the Russian military runs on diesel,” he said.

“It filters through to the war in the sense that it inconveniences and bothers the Russians and reminds the Russian population that this war has a cost to them as well.”

World

Two hostages shown in Hamas video – as Israel strikes high-rise building in Gaza City

Published

2 hours ago

September 6, 2025

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Two hostages shown in Hamas video - as Israel strikes high-rise building in Gaza City

Hamas has released a video showing two Israeli hostages, one of whom says he is being held in Gaza City, where the IDF has launched a major offensive.

Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Alon Ohel were kidnapped during the October 2023 massacre and are two of 48 captives still believed to be held by Hamas, with 20 thought to still be alive.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his military to occupy the whole of Gaza, with troops and armour currently assaulting Gaza City, where around a million people lived before the war broke out.

On Friday, the IDF bombed a high-rise building in the city’s west that – without providing evidence – it said was being used by Hamas. The military claimed that civilians were warned beforehand.

Pictures from Gaza City show Palestinians running for safety as the building collapses.

Hostages appear in video released by Hamas

The video was edited and featured an exhausted-looking Mr Gilboa-Dalal speaking for around three-and-a-half minutes.

He appears in a car for some of the video and says that he is being held in Gaza City along with other hostages.

He says that he is afraid of being killed by Israel’s latest assault.

The video is dated 28 August. Sky News could not independently determine the date of recording.

Mr Gilboa-Dalal appears to be in the backseat of a car that is being driven around. At one point, he identifies a passing building as one belonging to the Red Cross.

Hamas has refused to allow the Red Cross to see the hostages.

At one point, Mr Ohel, 24, is also seen.

Family mark ‘sign of life’

In a statement, Mr Gilboa-Dalal’s family said: “We have received a sign of life from our Guy after six months since the previous video in which he was seen with Evyatar David watching their friends being released.

“Guy, Alon, and other hostages were transferred to Gaza, and we are deeply concerned for their lives. They must be brought home.”

But talks between Israel and Hamas via mediators – aimed at stopping the fighting and freeing the hostages – collapsed in July.

After the release of the video, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid urged Israeli negotiators to resume talks on a deal to free the hostages.

Strike on high-rise building

The release of the hostage video comes as the Israeli military continues its attack on Gaza City, where residents say it bombed a high-rise tower on Friday.

The building’s management said it was being used for displaced people and denied it had been used for anything other than civilian purposes.

Footage of the strike showed the building collapsing and sending thick clouds of smoke billowing over nearby tent camps.

Father-of-two Ismail, from the city’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, told Reuters that his family feared they would not be able to return if they fled.

“We pray for a ceasefire,” he said.

More than 64,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the war began, Gaza health authorities say.

The war was sparked by Hamas’ attack on Israel, when militants killed 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages.

UK

Lammy, Cooper and Mahmood get new jobs in major reshuffle after Rayner’s resignation

Published

2 hours ago

September 6, 2025

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Lammy, Cooper and Mahmood get new jobs in major reshuffle after Rayner's resignation

David Lammy has been stripped of his role as foreign secretary, and given the job of justice secretary, along with the role of deputy PM.

Mr Lammy‘s move was one of the most momentous of Sir Keir Starmer‘s ministerial reshuffle on Friday afternoon, which saw a whole host of roles change hands, and two departments partially combined.

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The PM moved him away from one of the great offices of state, despite his apparently burgeoning ‘bromance’ with US vice president JD Vance. But Mr Lammy benefited from Angela Rayner‘s departure.

The deputy prime minister and housing secretary resigned from government on Friday morning, after it was found she had breached the ministerial code over her tax affairs. Sir Keir regretfully accepted her resignation, leaving her roles vacant.

Thus began the ministerial reshuffle, brought forward by several weeks as a result of Ms Rayner’s departure.

Mr Lammy has been given the role of deputy prime minister, and appeared cheery on Friday afternoon – strolling up Downing Street in the sunshine with a big smile on his face.

His move from the Foreign Office to the Ministry of Justice then allowed Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, to take on Mr Lammy’s previous job. She has never served in any role involving foreign affairs before, bar a three-month stint as shadow foreign secretary in 2010.

Her pivot to foreign affairs then allowed the biggest promotion of them all, with then justice secretary and key Starmer ally, Shabana Mahmood, being appointed as home secretary.

This means that for the first time in British history, all three great offices of state, after the prime minister, are held by women.

With those roles rejigged, and Number 10 insisting from the start that Rachel Reeves was safe as chancellor, it was time to tinker with the rest of the cabinet.

It appears that while the reshuffle was carried out unexpectedly early, a lot of thought had gone into it.

Sir Keir began by creating a new ‘super ministry’, combining the skills remit of the Department for Education with the Department for Work and Pensions.

Pat McFadden, on Friday morning the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (the highest ranking Cabinet Office minister), has been given responsibility for this new ministerial empire. It also means that Bridget Phillipson, who was and remains the education secretary, has had her responsibilities slimmed down.

Officially, Mr McFadden has become the work and pensions secretary. This meant the current occupant of that role, Liz Kendall, also needed to be reshuffled.

She has now been appointed as the science, innovation and technology secretary. Her predecessor in that role, Peter Kyle, in turn received a promotion to lead the Department of Business and Trade.

Mr Kyle made incorporating and using AI a key part of his first year in office, and had been seen to be doing well in the job. His promotion, though, has led to the current business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, being left without a department.

While he remains in the cabinet, his appointment to the job of chief whip is unlikely to be viewed as a promotion.

The reshuffle brought better news for Darren Jones, who was only promoted on Monday to the newly created role of chief secretary to the prime minister.

He got to keep his role, but was gifted Mr McFadden’s old job – chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – to add to his growing political portfolio.

Steve Reed, another long-time Starmer ally, benefitted alongside Mr Lammy from Ms Rayner’s departure. He has been given her former role of housing secretary, leaving behind the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Also ending in a better position than they started off on Friday morning are Emma Reynolds, a Treasury minister who has now received Mr Reed’s old job, and trade minister Douglas Alexander, who has now become the Scotland secretary. Sir Alan Campbell, previously chief whip, has now become leader of the House of Commons.

On the other side of the spectrum, former leader of the Commons Lucy Powell, and ex-Scotland secretary Ian Murray, joined Ms Rayner in leaving the government. Both were sacked, and both made clear their desire not to lose their roles.

Ms Powell said it had been “an honour” to serve but warned that “the future of our democracy looks uncertain”, citing rising levels of “abuse, misrepresentation…. and the call for easy answers”.

Mr Murray also echoed this sentiment, stating that politics in the UK “is at a dangerous crossroads”. He called on MPs to bring “prosperity, hope and our communities together, rather than furthering division and despair”, and said he would support Sir Keir’s government from the backbenches.