Fish, meat, & colon cancer.Cancer of the colon or rectum rectum: see intestine. rectum End segment of the large intestine (see digestion) in which feces accumulate just prior to discharge. It is 5–6 in. (13–15 cm) long and lined with mucous membrane. was more common in people who consumed more red or processed meat and less common in those who consumed more fish, says a massive study that tracked more than 475,000 men and women from 10 European countries for roughly five years. People who reported eating at least 6 ounces of red and processed meat a day had a 35 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer colorectal cancer Malignant tumour of the large intestine (colon) or rectum. Risk factors include age (after age 50), family history of colorectal cancer, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, benign polyps, physical inactivity, and a diet high in fat. than those who consumed less than 1/3 ounce. (Processed meats include sausage sausage, food consisting of finely chopped meat mixed with seasonings and, often, other ingredients, all encased in a thin membrane. Although sausages were made by the ancient Greeks and Romans, they were usually plain and unspiced; in the Middle Ages people began to , bacon, lunch meats, and ham.) In contrast, those who consumed at least 3 ounces of fish per day had a 30 percent lower risk than those who consumed less than 1/3 ounce a day. Poultry poultry, domesticated fowl kept primarily for meat and eggs; including birds of the order Galliformes, e.g., the chicken, turkey, guinea fowl, pheasant, quail, and peacock; and natatorial (swimming) birds, e.g., the duck and goose. had no impact on risk. Earlier studies in the U.S. saw no link with poultry, either. What to do: Eat more fish and limit red and processed meats to no more than three small (3-ounce) servings a week. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 97: 906, 2005. |
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