Colon Cancer Risk Soars on Low-Carb, Low-Fiber Diet, Says New Research

Research results have emerged indicating that a low-carbohydrate, low-fiber diet increases the risk of colon cancer.

The results of a mouse experiment study analyzing the risk of colorectal cancer according to diet type and gut bacteria were published in the journal Nature Microbiology.

Colorectal cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, occurring in 1 out of every 24 men and 1 out of every 26 women. According to recent research data, from 1999 to 2020, the number of colorectal cancer patients aged 30 to 34 increased by 71%, and those aged 35 to 39 increased by 58%.

Several factors are involved in the occurrence of colorectal cancer, with smoking, drinking, genetic factors, and an unhealthy diet being representative.

Researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada analyzed the risk of colon cancer associated with different types of diets in mice, linking it to specific gut bacteria.

The intestinal bacteria studied were Escherichia coli, Bacteroides fragilis, and Helicobacter hepaticus.

The researchers divided the mice into three groups and had each group consume a low-carbohydrate, low-fiber diet, a regular diet, and a high-fat, high-sugar diet for nine weeks. The results were analyzed by checking for the occurrence of polyps in the mice’s intestines 16 weeks after the start of the study.

According to the research findings, mice on a low-carbohydrate, low-fiber diet showed increased proliferation of E. coli, leading to a higher risk of colon cancer.

As a result of the analysis, many lesions resembling polyps and tumors were observed in the intestines of the mice, and numerous signs of DNA damage were noted. Additionally, the mucus layer that protects the intestinal mucosa from intestinal bacteria was thin, allowing colibactin, one of the cell toxins of E. coli, to enter the intestinal mucosa quickly.

The researchers explained that E. coli is a gut bacterium that is clinically highly associated with colon cancer, as it is found in 60% of colon cancer patients.

However, adding fiber to the diet reduced tumor formation and decreased inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. This suggests that a high-fiber diet may potentially help lower the risk of colon cancer.

Based on these results, the researchers concluded that a low-carbohydrate, low-fiber diet increases the risk of colon cancer.