Colorectal Poly Recurrence and Diet

Have you had a polyp removed from your colon or rectum? If so, you are probably thrilled that it wasn't cancer, and you will do anything to prevent another one (or two) from coming back. If you are overweight, it is definitely worth your while to get into a healthy weight range sooner rather than later. But exercise and weight loss aside, preventing a polyp recurrence may be easier than you think. The key lies with the food on your plate.
Starting With Breakfast
Oatmeal is one of the best foods you can eat to start your day for optimal nutrition and better bowel functioning (choose regular oats; even they can be cooked in 1 to 2 minutes). It's even better if you top it with frozen (or fresh) blackberries and a healthy handful of sliced almonds, walnuts or pecans. Add a small amount of low fat milk or soy milk and you've added a nice dose of calcium and excellent source of genistein, respectively--both of which have been associated with decreased risk of colorectal polyps. Berries are abundant in flavonoids, a group of bioactive polyphenols that are found in numerous plant-based foods. In a recent article about dietary flavonoids and colorectal adenoma recurrence, it was concluded that a flavonoid-rich diet may decrease the risk of advanced polyp recurrence. You can read more about this study in "Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention";17(6), June 2008.
Fabulous Flavonoids
Flavonoids are found in olives, olive oil, tea, dark chocolate, red wine, nuts, spices, herbs, seeds, beans, soy, avocados, fruits, vegetables and many other foods. Almost every plant-based food contains trace amounts of flavonoids. In fact, dietary flavonoids account for a substantial share of the American diet, with an estimated intake of 189 mg per gram of food each day. In order to get a healthy dose of flavonoids, try to eat 5 to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables each day and compose a diet that consists primarily of plant-based foods.
The New American Plate
The American Institute for Cancer Research developed a cookbook titled, "The New American Plate." It provides numerous recipes and nutrition tips for cancer prevention, and encourages Americans to include fruits, vegetables and grains on two-thirds of their plate and one-third with lean meats or fish. For more information and recipes, go to www.aicr.org.