Does Eating Junk Food Cause Colon Cancer?

Does Eating Junk Food Cause Colon Cancer?
Does Eating Junk Food Cause Colon Cancer?

Junk food is filled with salt, sugar and fat. All three of those things in heavy doses are just plain bad for the human body. A diet heavy in junk food just might make you more prone to developing colon cancer, as a study found. Researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands found a link between diets high in junk food and colon cancer, Reuters reports.

The researchers studied people diagnosed with Lynch syndrome, a genetic disorder found in one out of every 660 people. People with Lynch syndrome are more prone to developing cancers at a younger age. Up to 70 percent of those diagnosed with Lynch syndrome will develop a form of cancer. Colorectal and endometrial cancers are more common in people with Lynch syndrome from Western countries.

Read more about flaxseeds and cancer prevention

The researchers studied 486 people with Lynch syndrome for 20 months based on their diet. There were four different types of diets: one with fruits, vegetables and whole grains; another with lots of meat and coffee; a third with fish, leafy greens, pasta, sauces and wines; and a fourth filled with fast food, diet soda and fried snacks. The researchers found that 56 of those surveyed (or 12 percent) had colon tumors, and found a link to developing colon tumors only in those with diets heavy in junk food. People who ate the junk food diet filled were twice as likely to develop colon tumors.

The researchers are not sure exactly why. "These patients have this very high risk because of this (genetic) mutation they have, but it might be that they could reduce the number of (tumors) by having a more healthy lifestyle," said Akke Botma, the lead author of the study.Read more about exercise and fitness

NATURALLY SAVVY NEWSLETTER
Get the latest information, tips & recipes for healthy living delivered directly to your inbox.
Your privacy is important to us.

Whether or not eating junk really does make someone more prone to developing colon tumors or not, a junk food filled diet will cause weight gain, and being overweight puts you at risk for all sorts of diseases, including type two diabetes. The message is clear: limit the amount of junk food in your diet.

Photo: Bunches and Bits {Karina}

Leave a Comment

Andrea Donsky, RHN
Andrea Donsky, B. COMM is an international TV Health Expert, Best Selling Author, Nutritionist Podcast Host, and Founder of NaturallySavvy.com—a recipient of Healthline’s Best Healthy Living Blogs for 2019. As a pioneer and visionary in the health food industry, Andrea’s passion is to inspire people to make healthier choices. Andrea has combined her background and expertise as both a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and an entrepreneur ("She Boss!") to educate the public on living a healthy lifestyle through the creation of her businesses, books, articles, podcasts, videos, talks, and TV and radio media appearances. Andrea founded Naturally Savvy Media Inc. in 2007 in order to share her passion for healthy living, and love for natural products and companies. Among her numerous publications, Andrea co-authored Unjunk your Junk Food published by Simon and Schuster, a book that journalist, author and mother Maria Shriver endorsed: “Unjunk Your Junk Food has certainly made me more aware about the food that my children eat and the effects it has on our body and mind."</P. Andrea also co-authored two e-books entitled Label Lessons: Your Guide To A Healthy Shopping Cart, and Label Lessons: Unjunk Your Kid’s Lunch Box.