Take some oysters, liver, nuts and seeds, wash them down with a little cocoa, and top them off with a chocolate bar for dessert. While this combination may not appeal to your taste buds, including these foods in a well-balanced diet may reduce your risk of colon cancer, according to recent animal studies by Agricultural Research Service scientists.
Copper joins selenium, calcium, carotenoids and fiber as being important for a healthy colon.
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States and the fourth worldwide. Diet is thought to be the single greatest contributor to colon cancer in humans, possibly accounting for 35-45 percent of the disease risk. And copper-deficient colon cells showed enzyme abnormalities that have been reported in precancerous lesions in both humans and rats. Davis also looked for a copper connection in mice with a genetic predisposition to develop intestinal tumors. Since the mouse mutation is similar to one found in some human families, these animals make a good model for testing the effects of dietary changes.