Study links 'junk food' to chance for colon cancer

(WJBK) - New research is just out about what raises your risk for colon cancer. 

The study looked at about 120,000 men and women and found those who are eating a high inflammatory food diet were at greater risk, regardless of body weight. 

"We've always known that diet has some relationship to colon cancer," said Dr. Michael Kraut, Providence Cancer Institute. "The theory was that if you ate diets that caused high inflammation, versus anti-inflammatory diets that you might get more colon cancer. They studied a whole bunch of people, 26 years of data, they had them record what they ate. 

"And they found that people who ate diets that are high in inflammatory foods had more colon cancer that people who ate better diets or anti-inflammatory diets."

The American diet, the meat and potatoes diet, raises the risk for cancer, which is seen with immigrants. 

"A good example is people from Japan," Kraut said. "When they come over, their cancer rate in the colon is low but their children and grandchildren have higher rates of colon cancer, the same as the people in the U.S."

When we talk about foods that cause inflammation, what does that mean? Sara Bennett is a registered dietitian at Providence. 

"Those are fatty foods, fried foods, refined grains, sugary drinks like sodas or juices, lard or processed meats all have a high inflammatory risk."

 Here's what you can eat to contract that.

"You want a Mediterranean diet you want your fresh fruits and vegetables," Bennett said. "Your high Omega 3 foods like fish, walnuts, olive oil, flaxseed, tomatoes. fruits and vegetables, everything fresh and natural."

Eating the plant based diet can be good for you but oftentimes we're worried about what shows up on the outside with gaining weight. This is interesting information on what's happening on the inside - that's impactful.