NASHVILLE – A new study conducted at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center indicates that a higher calcium consumption can greatly reduce the risk of developing precancerous colon and rectal lesions in people who are at increased risk due to variations in two genes.,The study of 6000 subjects found that these gene variations are fairly common. Fifty-two percent of the study participants had variations in at least one of the genes and 13 percent had variations in both genes.
The researchers found that a high calcium intake resulted in a 39 percent reduced risk of colorectal adenomas in those with a variation in one gene. And, a high calcium intake was linked to a 69 percent reduced risk in those with variations in both genes. Scientists explained that their results suggest that a person with variations in one or both of the genes will have an increased risk for colorectal adenomas if they consume less than 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day. According to study author Dr. Xiangzhu Zhu:
"These patients should increase their calcium intake to reduce the risks." The team notes that you should check with your doctor before taking additional calcium because excessive calcium can lead to other side effects such as an increased risk of kidney stones. However, there is very little risk in simply eating a diet that is rich in calcium. Below are some foods that have a high calcium content: · Cheese · Sesame seeds · Almonds · Dairy Products · Herring If you’re interested in protecting yourself against colon cancer you might want to look into if you’re getting enough calcium in your diet. Have a healthy day. Larry Berman
