Eating Yogurt Twice a Week Could Help Men Avoid Colon Cancer

Men who have two portions of yogurt a week could cut the risk of developing adenoma, which can lead to bowel cancer, finds a new study.

Men who eat yogurt regularly can decrease their risk of developing adenoma, which can lead to bowel cancer, reveals a new study. The findings of the study are published in the journal Gut.

The observed associations were strongest for adenomas that are highly likely to become cancerous, and for those located in the colon rather than in the rectum, the findings indicate.

Health Benefits of Probiotic Yogurt Diet
Probiotic yogurt adds bountiful of beneficial bacteria to the intestinal tract which prove to be effective in aiding digestive problems.

‘Commonly found probiotics in yogurt can decrease the number of carcinogens in the gut. Hence, eating plenty of it significantly lowers the chance of developing pre-cancerous growths in the bowel.’
Read More..

Previously published research has suggested that eating a lot of yogurts might lower the risk of bowel cancer by changing the type and volume of bacteria in the gut (microbiome).

But it's not been clear whether yogurt intake might also be associated with a lower risk of pre-cancerous growths, known as adenomas.

The researchers, therefore, looked at the diets and subsequent development of different types of adenoma among 32,606 men who were part of the Health Professionals Follow Up Study and 55,743 women who were part of the Nurses Health Study.

Top 5 Health Benefits of Yogurt for Babies
Look beyond the calcium and protein content of yogurt. This probiotic-rich food boasts of a bevy of benefits for your baby’s health and well-being.

All the study participants had had a lower bowel endoscopy a procedure that enables a clinician to view the inside of the gut between 1986 and 2012. And every four years, they provided detailed information on lifestyle and diet, including how much yogurt they ate. During the study period, 5811 adenomas developed in the men and 8116 in the women.

Compared with men who didn't eat yogurt, those who ate two or more servings a week were 19% less likely to develop a conventional adenoma.

Diet to Prevent Colon Cancer - Health Tips - Glossary
Diet and lifestyle play an important role in reducing the risk and delaying the onset of cancer. Incorporating and eliminating certain other foods may reduce the risk of acquiring colon cancer.

This lower risk was even greater (26%) for adenomas that were highly likely to become cancerous, and for those located in the colon rather than in the rectum. While no obvious association was seen for men with a potentially more dangerous type of adenoma (serrated), a trend towards reduced risk was seen for those measuring 1 or more cm, which is considered to be large.

No such associations between yogurt intake and the development of adenomas were evident among women.

Yogurt can reduce Risk of Chronic Inflammation
Yogurt as an appetizer can reduce the risk of chronic inflammation, as it improves certain key biomarkers of endotoxin exposure, inflammation, and glucose metabolism.

This is an observational study, and as such, can't establish a cause. Further research would be needed to confirm the findings and uncover the biology involved, emphasize the researchers.

But a large number of people studied, and the regular updates on diet and lifestyle factors add heft to the findings, they suggest.

By way of a possible explanation for what they found, the researchers point out that Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, two bacteria commonly found in live yogurt, may lower the number of cancer-causing chemicals in the gut.

And the stronger link seen for adenomas growing in the colon may partly be due to the lower acidity (pH) in this part of the gut, making it a more hospitable environment for these bacteria, they add.

Alternatively, yogurt may have anti-inflammatory properties and may reduce the 'leakiness' of the gut as adenomas are associated with increased gut permeability, they suggest.

Source-Eurekalert