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Diet and Colorectal Cancer Prevention: Foods That Help Lower Your Risk   

Colorectal cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in Canada.1 The good news is that healthy food choices and habits can help lower your risk of getting this common cancer. 

Diet and colon cancer
Diet and colon cancer

What is colorectal cancer? 

Colorectal cancer, sometimes also called colon cancer, refers to two types of similar cancers: 

  • Cancer of the colon, which is the large intestine or bowel  
  • Cancer of the rectum, which is the end portion of the large intestine

What are the risk factors for colorectal cancer?  

The risk factors for colorectal cancer include both things you can’t change (like genetics) and things that you can (like food choices).2,3  

Things you can’t change: 

  • A family or personal history of colorectal cancer 
  • Non-cancerous (benign) polyps 
  • Inflammatory bowel disease like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease 
  • Being over the age of 50 

Things you can try to change: 

  • Smoking 
  • Drinking too much alcohol 
  • Lack of exercise and physical activity 
  • Eating a diet that is low in fibre 
  • Eating a diet that is high in red meat and processed meats 
  • Being overweight or obese

What food choices can you make to help prevent colorectal cancer? 

Some 70% of cancers in the digestive system are related to eating habits.4 This means that you can start today to lower your risk of colorectal cancer with easy updates to your everyday food choices. The World Cancer Research Fund recommends the following food choices as part of colorectal cancer prevention:5  

  1. Eat more whole grains and other foods high in fibre6 
  • Try to choose whole grains as much as possible. A whole grain includes all the fibre and nutrient filled parts of the grain. When looking at an ingredient list, keep an eye out for the words, ‘whole grain’. Some examples of whole grains are brown rice, barley, oats, rye and quinoa.  
  • Aim to eat a variety of high fibre foods each day. In addition to reducing your risk of colorectal cancer, fibre helps keep your blood sugar and heart healthy and keeps you feeling full and regular. In addition to whole grains, high fibre foods include vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils and peas.   

Tip: If you’re new to eating high fibre foods, slowly increase the amount you eat to prevent gas and bloating.  Drinking plenty of fluids and staying active will also help. Click here to learn more on fibre.  

  1. Eat more dairy products  

Research shows that eating dairy products may help decrease the risk of colorectal cancer.5 It is thought that the calcium naturally present in milk is strongly linked to dairy’s protective effect.7 And other nutrients in dairy, like vitamin D, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium may also play a role in lowering your colorectal cancer risk. Aim to eat dairy products regularly, along with vegetables, fruit, whole grains and other protein foods, to help reduce your risk of colorectal cancer.8  

  1. Eat less red meat and processed meat 

Limit red meat, like beef, pork, veal and lamb, to twice a week. And try to stick to portion sizes of cooked meat that are about the size of the palm of your hand.9 As for processed meats, like bacon, hot dogs and cold cuts, there is no recommended amount to eat – aim to eat them as little as possible.10   

Other changes that you can make that are also part of the prevention picture:11,12  

  • Eat more non-starchy vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables, like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and radish, have been shown to protect against colorectal cancer.  
  • Eat more fruit and more foods with vitamin C.  Low fruit intake may increase the risk of colorectal cancer.  
  • Reduce your alcohol consumption. Two or more drinks per day increases your risk of colorectal cancer so try to limit your drinking. 
  • Get more physical activity in your daily routine.  Aim for 30 minutes each day of moderate to vigorous physical activity. 
  • Quit smoking.  Smoking increases your risk of many cancers, including colorectal.   
  • Maintain a healthy body weight.  Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing colorectal cancer. 

New recipes to try 

If you’re looking to add some new meals to the mix, try these recipes with fibre, calcium, whole grains and more – and know that you are taking healthy steps to prevent colorectal cancer. 

  • If you’re looking for a leisurely cooking project – that also has fibre, calcium and protein – try this vegetable packed lasagna with ratatouille sauce.   

End your day with a soothing peppermint vanilla tea latte and a slice of dark chocolate and cherry bread pudding

The “bottom” line 

Here’s a quick checklist of the recommendations covered above: 

  • Choose whole grains over non-whole grains 
  • Try to eat a variety of high fibre foods like beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables each day 
  • Consume dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt regularly  
  • Limit red meat to two times or less a week 
  • Try to eat as few processed meats as possible 
  • Enjoy non-starchy vegetables and fruit often 
  • Aim for 30 minutes a day of physical activity 
  • Limit your drinking to 2 drinks or less a day 
  • If you smoke, try to quit 

And don’t forget, screening is an important part of prevention!  When colorectal cancer is caught early it can be treated. In Canada, colorectal cancer screening usually starts at the age of 50.  Make sure to talk to your doctor about when you should start screening based on your family history and lifestyle. 

References

  1. Colorectal Cancer Canada. 2024. Colorectal Cancer Screening. www.colorectalcancercanada.com. Accessed January 31, 2025. 
  1. Colorectal Cancer Canada. 2024. Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors. www.colorectalcancercanada.com. Accessed January 31, 2025. 
  1. Colorectal Cancer Canada. 2024. Prevention Overview. www.colorectalcancercanada.com. Accessed January 31, 2025. 
  1. Foods That Fight Cancer. 2024. Food and Cancer Prevention. www.foodsthatfightcancer.ca. Accessed February 1, 2025. 
  1. World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018. Diet, nutrition, physical activity and colorectal cancer. Washington, DC: AICR. 2018. 
  1. World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018. Diet, nutrition, physical activity and colorectal cancer. Washington, DC: AICR. 2018. 
  1. Papier, K. et al. Diet-wide analyses for risk of colorectal cancer: prospective study of 12,251 incident cases among 542,778 women in the UK. Nat Commun 2025;16:375.  
  1. World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Continuous Update Project Expert Report 2018. Diet, nutrition, physical activity and colorectal cancer. Washington, DC: AICR. 2018. 
  1. Foods That Fight Cancer. 2024. Reduce Red Meat. www.foodsthatfightcancer.ca. Accessed February 1, 2025. 
  1. Foods That Fight Cancer. 2024. Reduce Red Meat. www.foodsthatfightcancer.ca. Accessed February 1, 2025. 
  1. Colorectal Cancer Canada. 2024. Prevention Overview. www.colorectalcancercanada.com. Accessed January 31, 2025. 
  1. Foods That Fight Cancer. 2024. Eat Vegetables and Whole Grains. www.foodsthatfightcancer.ca. Accessed February 1, 2025.