Why does colon health matters?

Welcome to March, it is St. Patrick celebration month; time to grab your lucky charm and put on your green. With that in mind let us eat some greens by way of fruits and vegetables to fight colon cancer. Did you know that the fiber in fruits and vegetables helps the body get rid of unwanted body waste to have a happy colon?

 Why does colon health matters? The American Cancer Society estimates that 154,270 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with colon and rectal cancer in 2025, and 52,900 will die from the disease. 

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease where abnormal cells grow the colon or rectum. CRC begins as a noncancerous growth called a polyp that is common, and most do not become cancerous. CRC is the third most diagnosed cancer and the third most common cause of cancer-related death in both men and women. 

CRC is the leading cause of cancer death in men younger than 50 years of age. More than half of all CRCs are associated with lifestyle changes you can make, such as smoking, an unhealthy diet, heavy alcohol drinking, not exercising, and extra weight. That means that a large portion of CRC cases and death can be preventable. 

With that said let’s talk about what healthy eating is. Healthy eating is a diet full of vitamins, minerals, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, good fats, and complex carbohydrates. You can get these key vitamins and minerals from food and supplements.

So, eat your fruits, and vegetables and talk with your doctor about any screenings needed.

• Vitamin C (Kiwi, oranges, strawberries, red and green bell peppers)

• Calcium (milk, soybean, yogurt, cheese, almond milk, sesame seeds)

• Chromium (grape juice, red wine, whole wheat bread, brown rice, peanut butter)

• Vitamin B12 (eggs, clams, fortified breakfast cereal, low fat beef, tuna)

• Folic Acid/Folate (peanuts, lentils, asparagus, beets, wheat germ)

• Iron (raisins, sweet potatoes, maple syrup, fortified pasta, quinoa) 

• Magnesium (avocados, dark chocolate, cashews, black beans, spinach)

• Vitamin B3 (sunflower seeds, chia seeds, chicken, lima beans, guava)

• Potassium (bananas, flaxseeds, white beans, potatoes, lentils)

• Vitamin B6 (pork, turkey, pistachios, chickpeas, beef liver, papaya)

• Vitamin B2 (pine nut, kidney beans, pinto beans, cauliflower, oatmeal, green peas)

• Selenium (shrimp, cottage cheese, ham, salmon, Brazil nut)

• Sodium (parmesan cheese, cucumber pickles, green olives, chard, goji berries)

• Vitamin A (carrots, cantaloupe, pink grapefruit, broccoli, lettuce)

• Beta Carotene (paprika, watermelon, plum, passion fruit, tangerine) 

• Vitamin D (mushrooms, Swiss cheese, trout, sardines, sunlight)

• Vitamin E (blackberries, hazelnut, butternut squash, pecans, apricot, mango)

• Vitamin K (blueberries, cabbage, figs, kale, grapes)

• Zinc (lobster, pork chop, green peas, hemp seeds, lamb)

• Vitamin B7 (basil, fava beans, walnuts, buckwheat flour, 

• Vitamin B5 (sundried tomatoes, corn, whey protein, black-eye peas)

• Vitamin B1 (rye bread, navy beans, edamame, bagel, acorn squash) 

*Not an exhausted list since one food item could have multiple vitamins and minerals.

By Mercedes Cruz, CCHWI