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Vegetables are an important food group to prevent a variety of diseases and cancers. However, red, yellow and orange vegetables have high levels of vitamins and antioxidants that can help keep your colon healthy. What makes these vegetables that particular color are the vitamins and antioxidants that are found in them. Red, yellow and orange vegetables are particularly high in an antioxidant known as beta carotene which is an orange/red color. This antioxidant is often associated with Vitamin A as it is a precursor to becoming Vitamin A in your body. Adequate intakes are also associated with a decreased rate of colon cancer. Include a one cup serving of any of these colored vegetables. You can try: red, yellow and orange bell peppers, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, butternut squash and carrots. Another group of foods that can help protect your colon and resist the formation of polyps are folate-rich foods. Luckily, folate can be found in a wide variety of foods. Studies have shown that an intake of 400 IU of folate every day can help prevent the formation of polyps but also helps prevent colon cancer as well. 400 IU of folate is easily consumed if you eat a balanced diet and focus on folate-rich foods. Specific foods that are high in folate include: fortified breakfast cereals, spinach, black-eyed peas, asparagus, broccoli, green peas, whole wheat bread and peanuts. Calcium is another commonly found mineral that has been shown to prevent the formation of colon polyps. Including regular servings of foods high in calcium can help protect your colon. One study in particular showed that those people who consumed 1200 mg of calcium daily (which you can get from three servings of calcium-rich foods), had a 20% less recurrence of cancerous colon polyps. Calcium is found most commonly in dairy foods. You can have milk, yogurt, kefir, cheese or cottage cheese to get in an adequate serving of calcium. In addition, calcium is found in other plant-based foods outside of the dairy group. Almonds, broccoli, dark greens, and fortified orange juice or soy milk offer another source of calcium. Some foods contain a certain type of fat called omega-3 fats. Often known as heart healthy fats, these fats are also beneficial to your colon. Studies have shown that omega-3 fats help maintain and even improve cell health in the colon. Include regular servings of healthy fats to help prevent colon polyps. Healthy fats are found in a wide variety of foods. Include a serving of these foods daily to help protect your colon and prevent the formation of polyps. Include foods like: avocado, olive oil, olives, salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, walnuts and flaxseeds. Many studies have shown the benefits of green tea in preventing polyps and colon cancer. Try swapping out your morning coffee for a cup of green tea or drink a cup or two of decaffeinated green tea after dinner. Although water is not a specific food or a nutrient, it's essential to overall health. Specifically, studies have shown that a lack of adequate water can lead to dehydration and polyp formation in your colon. When you don't drink adequate amounts of fluids, your body will harvest free water from other areas - like your stool or other cells. This causes dehydration and constipation. Decreased bowel transit time and the concentration of carcinogenic compounds that are found in cells can increase your risk for the growth of cancerous polyps. Health professionals recommend drinking about 64 oz or 8 glasses of water everyday. However, you may need to increase your water intake to prevent constipation.
Focus on red, yellow and orange vegetables. Include folate-rich foods. Consume calcium-rich foods. Focus on healthy fats. Drink green tea. Drink more water.