Proven strategies to Prevent colon cancer

Steadying blood ✓

sugar with strolls

Fitting in at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day lowers your colon cancer risk 31%, according to research in the British Medical Journal. An elevated blood- sugar level speeds the growth of abnormal cells in the colon ( large intestine); keeping your blood sugar, or glucose, low and steady with regular exercise dramatically reduces this key source of fuel for cancer cells, study coauthor Len Veerman, PH.D., explains.

Preventing polyps ✓

with brown rice

Eating two cups of brown rice each week can lower your risk of developing colon cancer 40% or more, recent Swedish research reveals. The reason: Brown rice is chock-full of compounds that bind to tissue- damaging bile acid and fatty acids in your digestive tract. This, in turn, cuts their ability to trigger the formation of precancerous polyps, according to Yale University researcher David Katz, M.D., author of Disease Proof.

Speeding healing ✓

with garlic

Eating just one clove of raw or cooked garlic each day is enough to reduce your colon cancer risk 30% or more, report researchers in the Journal of Nutrition. Compounds in garlic help speed the repair of damaged and aged intestinal cells, preventing them from turning cancerous, explains study coauthor Lynne Cobiac, PH.D. If you don’t like garlic, supplementing with an aged garlic extract can also be protective. (Concentrations vary, so follow the package directions for dosage.)

Soothing your gut ✓

with ginger

Spicing up your food with 1 tsp. of fresh ginger, or drinking four cups of ginger tea, each day can shut down intestinal irritation, the number- one trigger of precancerous growths in the colon, in less than a month, University of Michigan research shows. Ginger contains unique tissue-healing substances ( gingerols), the study authors explain.

Strengthening your ✓ defenses with mushrooms

All edible mushrooms pack lots of beta- glucans, plant compounds that energize your white blood cells, enhancing their ability to find and destroy colon cancer cells faster. Beta-glucans are so powerful, in fact, simply eating three cups of mushrooms each week can reduce your risk of colon cancer 25%, research reveals. ■ Bonus: That same amount of mushrooms is shown to cut breast cancer risk as much as 64%.

Avoiding trouble ✓

with pomegranate

Sipping a half- cup of pomegranate juice daily, or eating 2/3 cup of pomegranate seeds, could cut your risk of colon cancer 33% or more, say Medical College of Wisconsin scientists. Ellagic acid, a compound abundant in the fruit, strengthens and protects the digestive tract lining, so toxins can’t easily harm its cells.