Experts Say Doing This 1 Thing Can Lower Your Risk Of Colon Cancer — And It's Easier Than You Think

Dense bean salads, which use beans as a salad base instead of lettuce, are all the rage on social media for good reason. The beans, along with the fresh veggies in the dish, help you reach your daily fiber goal, a number that experts say most Americans don't hit, which isn't good. Eating enough fiber is a crucial way to reduce your risk of colon cancer, a type of cancer that's on the rise in people 50 and younger in the US.
(It's recommended that women eat roughly 25 grams of fiber each day while men consume about 38 grams, but most adults eat roughly 10 grams of fiber each day.)
Decades ago, researchers found that people in Uganda had very low rates of colon cancer when compared to Americans because of their diet, which was high in fiber — veggies, fruits and grains — and low in meat, said Dr. Ron Quinton, the medical director of the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University in New Orleans. Specifically, colon cancer occurred at a rate of 3.5 out of 100,000 in men in Uganda compared to 51.8 out of 100,000 in men in Connecticut.
'And I think that's the first time that it was really noticed that this was a prevention for colon cancer,' noted Quinton. Meaning, it's really important to prioritize your fiber consumption.
There are multiple ways that fiber benefits colon health and even more ways to reach the daily recommended amount. Here's what experts say:
'Fiber plays an important role in the health of the colon, and when the colon gets unhealthy, then we're set up for development of cancer and other inflammatory diseases,' said Quinton.
Overall, fiber adds bulk to the stool, which helps with proper colon function.
'[Fiber] makes the stools more easy to move along, so the time that the stool spends in the colon is lessened, so less chance for constipation, more normal stools,' explained Quinton.
This is also good for the removal of toxins: 'If there are any toxins in the stool that lead to cancer, they spend less time in the colon, and therefore lessen the chances of cancer exposure or other diseases,' he said.
Fiber is also important for the microbiome, which has been the main focus of research in the past decade, said Mary Ellen Camire, a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine.
Fiber is often prebiotic, meaning it's food for probiotic bacteria, Camire added. And probiotics help rebuild and balance your microbiome.
'When the bacteria get a nice fiber meal, they are very active, and they make compounds that help protect the colon' against colon cancer, along with other kinds of cancers, she explained.
More, the cells that line the colon, which are called colonocytes, get their energy from the microbiome, added Quinton. 'And when the colonocytes are healthy, then they form an intact barrier along the colon, so that substances that may cause disease or cancer can't cross that barrier,' Quinton said.
'It also helps the colon produce mucus [and] thick mucus lining also protects the colon, so without enough fiber, our microbiome gets diseased and they don't produce the energy or nutrients that our colon needs to stay healthy,' he noted.
'Fiber is a really critical part of our overall diet, and the typical American only gets 5 or 10% of the recommended amount of fiber in their diet on any given day,' said Quinton.
As mentioned above, women need about 25 grams of fiber each day and men need about 38 grams, he said.
Beans and legumes are very high in fiber and certain fruits and veggies are, too. Lentils have 18 grams of fiber per cup, black beans have about 15 grams in 1 can, chia seeds have 10 grams in 2 tablespoons, barley has 6 grams in 1 cup, raspberries have 8 grams in 1 cup and a pear has 6 grams, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
This summer, you could make a bean and whole wheat pasta salad to up your fiber intake, or make some cold barley salads, said Camire. You can also lean into seasonal produce, she said.
Camire added that it's important to spread your fiber intake out across the day and to consume different kinds of foods for fiber.
'The mistake a lot of people make when they decide 'I'm going to make fiber a priority' is they don't give their system time to adjust. If you're used to eating 15 grams of fiber a day, and you start eating 30 grams a day, the bacteria think they're having a party and so you may have some gas and cramping,' Camire said.
You should start out gradually and slowly build up, she noted.
'Once you find the foods that you tolerate well and that you like, getting enough fiber won't be difficult or expensive,' Camire added.
It's tempting to turn to fiber supplements as a quick and easy way to reach your fiber goal, but experts say you shouldn't.
'None of the supplements ... are an adequate replacement for natural fiber,' Quinton said. Also, since you need so much fiber, fiber supplements end up being just a drop in the bucket, Camire added.
While some of the supplements can increase your stool bulk and help constipation, 'they don't necessarily have the soluble fiber elements that feed the microbiome and keep it healthy, which keeps your gut healthy,' said Quinton.
'I don't think you can just replace the fiber with supplements. You need to be eating whole food,' Quinton added.
It's important to also take other preventative steps to lower your risk of developing colon cancer. These include monitoring yourself for concerning symptoms such as ongoing stomach pain, blood in your stool or a change in your bowel movements. If you notice these symptoms, talk to your doctor.
It's also important to let your doctor know if colon cancer runs in your family as you may be eligible for an early colonoscopy screening.
Colonoscopy screenings start at 45 for those with no family history and without the symptoms mentioned above, but no matter when you're eligible, colonoscopies are the best way to screen for colon cancer and remove potentially precancerous polyps.
'During a colonoscopy, if we see a polyp, and we believe it to be the precancerous kind, which the vast majority are, we will remove those polyps at the colonoscopy,' Dr. Jeffrey Dueker, a gastroenterologist at UPMC and an associate professor of gastroenterology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, previously told HuffPost. 'And in doing so, we are reducing the colorectal cancer risk going forward,' Dueker added.
With rising colon cancer rates in the U.S., it's important to do what you can to lessen your risk, which includes eating a high-fiber diet, going to necessary doctor's appointments and monitoring yourself for symptoms.
You're Probably Not Eating Enough Fiber. Here's How To Tell, Including... You Know.
I'm A Colorectal Cancer Doctor. Here Are 5 Things I'd Never Do.
The 1 Unexpected Sign Of Colon Cancer, According To Doctors

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Newsweek

5 hours ago

• Newsweek

The Key to Better Sleep Is in Your Gut, Says Gastroenterologist

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Around 25 million U.S. adults suffer from insomnia. At the same time, more than 3.9 million Americans are taking probiotics, usually for gut health, according to the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). And gut health could be the key to better sleep. A study published in the journal Engineering examined a specific probiotic strain called Lactobacillus helveticus CCFM1320. This probiotic produces a compound known as SAM (S-adenosylmethionine), which helps regulate the body's internal clock and supports the production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. The researchers found that this probiotic could significantly improve sleep quality. The Gut as a Second Brain Neuroscientist Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, the head of sleep at Wesper, a national home sleep disorder diagnostics company, told Newsweek: "The gut essentially acts as a secondary nervous system and creates and releases many crucial neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, which also help to regulate nervous system activity. "This allows for two-way communication between the gut and the brain, called the gut-brain axis. Healthy gut microbes are essential to keeping the gut healthy and functioning, and there is ample evidence that gut microbiota dysregulation can negatively impact the activity of the gut-brain axis. Because the brain is highly sensitive, this can lead to poor sleep quality." Stock image of a woman taking pills from her nightstand before bed. Stock image of a woman taking pills from her nightstand before bed. Liudmila Chernetska/iStock / Getty Images Plus Is CCFM1320 a Game-Changing Strain? To test the effectiveness of CCFM1320 in humans, scientists from Jiangnan University conducted a four-week study with 60 volunteers who experienced sleep difficulties. Participants were divided into two groups: one received the probiotic, while the other took a placebo. Results showed that those who consumed the probiotic had better sleep scores, lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and a healthier balance of gut bacteria. Additionally, the probiotic boosted the expression of genes involved in producing and utilizing SAM, a key factor in sleep and overall health. Strain-Specific Benefits Dr. Michel Bass, a board-certified gastroenterologist and the Founding Medical Director at Oshi Health in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, emphasized the importance of strain specificity: "Not all probiotics are created equal. This study identified CCFM1320 as uniquely beneficial for sleep quality. This isn't a generic 'take-any-probiotic' situation—it's about strain-level specificity," Bass told Newsweek. "That's where a lot of public messaging needs to evolve. Just like different medications target different conditions, different strains do different things. And this one appears to enhance melatonin synthesis via SAM methylation—a novel pathway." Probiotic Supplements vs. Fermented Foods Stock image of an assortment of fresh vegetables and meats. Stock image of an assortment of fresh vegetables and meats. esilzengin/iStock / Getty Images Plus While fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, and kefir are beneficial for general gut health, Bass explained that they may not provide targeted probiotic strains at therapeutic levels. "If someone wants to improve things like sleep quality or reduce stress hormones like cortisol, a strong, well-researched supplement—especially one with proven strains like CCFM1320—is usually more effective," he said. "That said, eating fermented foods is still a great daily habit and can complement targeted probiotic supplements." Jason Eastty, owner of Healthspan Longevity in Westborough, Massachusetts, and a nutrition specialist, added that overall good nutrition can combat poor sleep. "Having a nutrient deficiency—like low iron, magnesium, or vitamin D—can throw off your gut microbial balance, leading to poor sleep. Clinical trials have shown that correcting these deficiencies helps microbial diversity and improves sleep efficiency," Eastty said. He also emphasized that a whole-foods diet rich in fiber—from fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains—is essential to feeding the "good" bacteria in your gut.

Miami Herald

6 hours ago

• Miami Herald

Fed study blasts few healthcare options in top U.S. tourism states

Romantic getaways. Family memories. Great escapes. We Americans love a good vacation. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter You might be one of the millions lured this – and every – summer by a bold oceanfront, a lakeside fire pit or leafy mountain paths found in these popular tourism states. Related: Major health care company files for bankruptcy to sell assets Or maybe other seasonal adventures like world-class skiing, lush spring gardens or the simply fabulous foliage each autumn draw you and yours to these renowned venues any time of year. 'Cause there's also a ton of history, culture and sports to explore plus delicious local chow for the foodies. But beyond the cheery facades that welcome visitors are sad and scary realities that full-time residents face regarding year-round healthcare access in their rural communities. A new study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston spells out the first-hand accounts of mothers, children, elders and others challenged by distance, income, resources and other economic problems to receive healthcare that so many fellow Americans take for granted. The solutions don't seem to be short-term, straining hopes and accelerating chronic, life-threatening medical crises."Yep. It's a great place to visit but you wouldn't want to live here." Visitors to these states have heard this refrain from locals for decades, all the way back to the last century. Proximity to health care is an increasing concern in rural communities across America. As a result, patient care suffers. So do patients. Greater distances from primary care providers, community hospitals and trauma centers are linked to higher rates of fatal accidents, fatal heart attacks and infant mortality, according to Federal Reserve Bank of Boston senior policy analyst Riley Sullivan. Rural healthcare facilities are finding it more difficult to attract the skilled workforce to fill jobs at every level of skill. Reasons include lack of affordable or available housing and high costs of living magnified by the many, many miles from larger towns and bigger cities. Plus healthcare providers across America maintain that inadequate insurance, Medicaid or Medicare reimbursement rates are leading to major losses at private, public and not-for-profit facilities. Related: Major bankrupt healthcare provider closes distressed hospitals Overall, U.S. hospitals are finding that they have no choice but to cut services due to these acute financial challenges. Some even close because all options have simply run out, leaving their communities in medical deserts facing life-or-death choices 24-7. Boston Fed principal economist and policy advisor Mary Burke, who studies regional labor force participation rates, said all these issues add up to big strains on healthcare systems in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Sullivan's study showed: Northern Light Health, Maine's second-largest health care system, lost a staggering $156 million in 2024. Northern Light Inland Hospital in Waterville (known for its ski resorts) closed earlier this year. In New Hampshire, Catholic Medical Center in Manchester reported monthly losses ranging from "$2 - $3 million," before it was sold in February Vermont, a state-mandated though disputed analysis found that its hospitals will need to find between $700 million and $2.4 billion to break even by 2028. "I think that when you look around the country in rural areas and you find thriving health care systems or hospitals, what you see are thriving communities, where economic development is strong," said Dr. Sunil Eappen, CEO of The University of Vermont Health Network. Economic development is the key to reversing these trends in Vermont and its two northern neighbors. Tourism dollars, though in the millions, just aren't enough. Eappen, also a member of the Boston Fed's Board of Directors, said potential catalysts – including improved infrastructure and more housing – would help stop the bleeding of healthcare access. But ultimately, it all comes down to one thing. "We need another 100-150,000 young people to move in who are working and paying into a commercial insurance population," Eappen said. "We need more people to move in." Related: Major hospital chain owner files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.

Atlantic

8 hours ago

• Atlantic

The Computer-Science Bubble Is Bursting

The job of the future might already be past its prime. For years, young people seeking a lucrative career were urged to go all in on computer science. From 2005 to 2023, the number of comp-sci majors in the United States quadrupled. All of which makes the latest batch of numbers so startling. This year, enrollment grew by only 0.2 percent nationally, and at many programs, it appears to already be in decline, according to interviews with professors and department chairs. At Stanford, widely considered one of the country's top programs, the number of comp-sci majors has stalled after years of blistering growth. Szymon Rusinkiewicz, the chair of Princeton's computer-science department, told me that, if current trends hold, the cohort of graduating comp-sci majors at Princeton is set to be 25 percent smaller in two years than it is today. The number of Duke students enrolled in introductory computer-science courses has dropped about 20 percent over the past year. But if the decline is surprising, the reason for it is fairly straightforward: Young people are responding to a grim job outlook for entry-level coders. In recent years, the tech industry has been roiled by layoffs and hiring freezes. The leading culprit for the slowdown is technology itself. Artificial intelligence has proved to be even more valuable as a writer of computer code than as a writer of words. This means it is ideally suited to replacing the very type of person who built it. A recent Pew study found that Americans think software engineers will be most affected by generative AI. Many young people aren't waiting to find out whether that's true. 'It's so counterintuitive,' Molly Kinder, a Brookings Institution fellow who studies AI's effect on the economy, told me. 'This was supposed to be the job of the future. The way to stay ahead of technology was to go to college and get coding skills.' But the days of 'Learn to code' might be coming to an end. If the numbers are any indication, we might have passed peak computer science. Chris Gropp, a doctoral student at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, has spent eight months searching for a job. He triple-majored in computer science, math, and computational science at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and has completed the coursework for a computer-science Ph.D. He would prefer to work instead of finishing his degree, but he has found it almost impossible to secure a job. He knows of only two people who recently pulled it off. One sent personalized cover letters for 40 different roles and set up meetings with people at the companies. The other submitted 600 applications. 'We're in an AI revolution, and I am a specialist in the kind of AI that we're doing the revolution with, and I can't find anything,' Gropp told me. 'I found myself a month or two ago considering, Do I just take a break from this thing that I've been training for for most of my life and go be an apprentice electrician? ' Gropp is contending with a weak job market for recent college graduates in general and the tech sector in particular. Although employment for 22-to-27-year-olds in other fields has grown slightly over the past three years, employment for computer-science and math jobs in that age group has fallen by 8 percent. Not long ago, graduates from top comp-sci programs—such as those at Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon—would have been fending off recruiters from Google and Amazon. Now, professors at those schools told me, their graduates are having to try much harder to find work. Gropp's dad, William Gropp, runs the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 'I can say, as the father of a computer-science master's degree holder with expertise in machine learning who is still looking for a job, that the industry is not what it used to be,' he told me. In the ultimate irony, candidates like Gropp might be unable to get jobs working on AI because AI itself is taking the jobs. 'We know AI is affecting jobs,' Rusinkiewicz, from Princeton, told me. 'It's making people more efficient at some or many aspects of their jobs, and therefore, perhaps companies feel they can get away with doing a bit less hiring.' Derek Thompson: Something alarming is happening to the job market The best evidence that artificial intelligence is displacing tech workers comes from the fact that the industry that has most thoroughly integrated AI is the one with such unusually high unemployment. Tech leaders have said publicly that they no longer need as many entry-level coders. Executives at Alphabet and Microsoft have said that AI writes or assists with writing upwards of 25 percent of their code. (Microsoft recently laid off 6,000 workers.) Anthropic's chief product officer recently told The New York Times that senior engineers are giving work to the company's chatbot instead of a low-level human employee. The company's CEO has warned that AI could replace half of all entry-level workers in the next five years. Kinder, the Brookings fellow, said she worries that companies soon will simply eliminate the entire bottom rung of the career ladder. The plight of the tech grads, she told me, could be a warning for all entry-level white-collar workers. Not everyone agrees that AI is causing the turbulence in the job market. The tech industry frequently goes through booms and busts. The biggest companies exploded in size when the economy was good. Now, with high interest rates and the specter of new tariffs, executives are likely holding off on expanding, and workers are reluctant to leave their job, says Zack Mabel, director of research at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Companies have an incentive to blame layoffs on AI instead of forces within their control, David Deming, an economics professor at Harvard, told me. 'Before we see big changes from AI in the labor market, companies have to internalize this new capability and change what they ask for. And that's the thing that I have not seen very much of,' he said. 'It could be AI, but we just don't know.' Enrollment in the computer-science major has historically fluctuated with the job market. When jobs are scarce, people choose to study something else. Eventually, there aren't enough computer-science graduates, salaries go up, and more people are drawn in. Prior declines have always rebounded to enrollment levels higher than where they started. (And some universities, such as the University of Chicago, still haven't seen any enrollment drops.) Sam Madden, a computer-science professor at MIT, told me that even if companies are employing generative AI, that will likely create more demand for software engineers, not less. Whether the past few years augur a temporary lull or an abrupt reordering of working life, economists suggest the same response for college students: Major in a subject that offers enduring, transferable skills. Believe it or not, that could be the liberal arts. Deming's research shows that male history and social-science majors end up out-earning their engineering and comp-sci counterparts in the long term, as they develop the soft skills that employers consistently seek out. 'It's actually quite risky to go to school to learn a trade or a particular skill, because you don't know what the future holds,' Deming told me. 'You need to try to think about acquiring a skill set that's going to be future-proof and last you for 45 years of working life.' Of course, when faced with enormous uncertainty, many young people take the opposite approach and pursue something with a sure path to immediate employment. The question of the day is how many of those paths AI will soon foreclose.