Colon cancer is a disease in which malignant or cancer cells form in the tissues of the colon.  The colon is part of the digestive system.  It removes and processes nutrients from foods and then helps to pass the waste material out of your body.

Colon cancer is a disease that may be caused by many factors.  These are genetic, dietary, and environmental factors.  It is unlikely that any one factor, such as fiber, plays a dominant role.

Woman with Variety of Fruits and Vegetables

So what can help reduce your risk of colon cancer?

Oral supplements such as calcium, fish oil and folic acid, diets high in fiber, fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat and red meat, avoiding obesity, getting regular exercise, and quitting cigarette smoking are safe measures that are likely to prevent or at least reduce your risk of colo-rectal cancer.

As you are aware, high fiber diets are the best thing for colon problems.  A woman should eat 21 to 25 grams of fiber a day and a man 30 to38 grams a day.  The best foods for a high fiber diet include fruits, vegetables, and grains.  In making the right combination of foods, you can very easily sustain a high fiber diet.

Studies have shown that people with high fiber diets have more frequent and bulky stools and had less illness. It is thought that the health benefits from fiber relate to its ability to increase stool bulk and speed up how quickly stool moves through the colon.  A recent National Institutes of Health study concluded that fiber from grains and whole grain foods helped reduce the risk of intestinal cancer and lower gastrointestinal cancers.  This can also help with overall colon health.

Here are some supplements that have been proven to help with lowering your cancer risks:

• People using glucosamine had 27% lower risk of colorectal cancer.
• People using chondroitin had 35% lower risk of colorectal cancer.
• People using fish oil had 35% lower risk of colorectal cancer.
• People using MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) had 54% lower risk of colorectal cancer.
• People using the herb St. John’s wort had 65% lower risk of colorectal cancer.

These are all supplements that are available over the counter or in your local health food store.  All supplements have various benefits so it may be necessary to do your research on what else each of these supplements can do, besides reduce your cancer risk.

Vitamin D is a supplement that may help with digestion and may reduce cancer risks.  Your body produces acid to digest food; however, in high amounts this digestive acid can be cancerous.  Studies have shown that Vitamin D can help your body alleviate some of this acid before it can lead to colon cancer.  Vitamin D also helps protect against other types of cancer, helps your heart, strengthens your bones by helping your body use calcium, and boosts your immune system function.

These methods are not guaranteed to eliminate colon cancer.  However, they can reduce your risk of colon cancer and they can help keep your colon healthy.