Daily physical activity—including household chores and walking to work—may help lower colorectal cancer risk, according to a new study. Strong evidence also suggests that consumption of whole grains, other foods with dietary fiber, dairy products, and calcium supplements may also lower risk. On the flipside, the researchers found that processed meat, excess alcohol and red meat consumption, and unhealthy body weight may raise colorectal cancer risk.
The report was released by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund on September 6, 2017.
Lead author Edward Giovannucci, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a statement, “The findings from this comprehensive report are robust and clear: Diet and lifestyle have a major role in colorectal cancer.”
Read report: Colorectal cancer
Read coverage in Medscape: Whole Grains and Exercise Curb Risk for Colorectal Cancer