Which Mediterranean Diet Foods Reduce Intestinal Polyps Has Been Identified

According to a study presented at the congress held on 28 June - 1 July in Barcelona, the 19th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer, three Mediterranean diet features significantly reduced colon and rectal polyps: high fish and fruit consumption and reduced soft drink consumption (usually carbonated sugary or sweetened beverages).

What Is an Intestinal Polyp?

Colorectal (colon and rectal) polyps, increasingly common with age, are slow-growing formations arising from the innermost bowel layer with a risk of becoming cancerous. This risk is very low, around %1, but their frequency makes them medically important. Colonoscopy and similar early cancer detection screening methods can identify polyps early and reduce the incidence of colorectal cancers .

Colorectal cancers develop from intestinal polyps, and a low-fiber diet, heavy red or processed meat consumption, alcohol and high-calorie food intake increase polyp development risk.

Details of the Study Showing That the Mediterranean Diet Reduces Colorectal (Colon and Rectal) Polyps

The Mediterranean diet was known to reduce the likelihood of colon and rectal cancers, but until now no clear study had identified which foods provided this risk reduction.

In research by Fliss Isakov and her team, 808 people monitored through colonoscopy screening completed a dietary questionnaire. All participants were aged 40 - 70 and not at high risk of colorectal cancer.

Mediterranean diet adherence was measured by high consumption of fruit, vegetables, pulses, nuts and seeds, whole grains, fish and poultry; consuming monounsaturated fats (olive oil) rather than saturated fats; and low red meat, alcohol and soft drink consumption.

Results

As expected, people with more frequent intestinal polyps followed the Mediterranean diet less closely. The striking result, after accounting for all colorectal cancer risk factors including other dietary components, was that high fish and fruit consumption and low soft drink consumption were the best combination for reducing colorectal polyp likelihood .

Each choice reduced intestinal polyp risk by %30 compared with no Mediterranean diet adherence. People making all three healthy choices had an %86 reduction in polyp risk.

Researchers stated that their next goal was to measure Mediterranean dietary patterns’ effects in people at high risk of colorectal cancer.