Inflammation has long been suspected as an important initiator of our most common causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. The number one killer of Americans is heart disease, and number two is cancer.

Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among men and women in the US. Many respected researchers assert our dietary choices can greatly reduce our risks of developing the two major killers of Americans. Reducing the inflammatory response in our bodies, could be an important step in a prevention strategy.

As reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association in January 2018, pro-inflammatory diets contain substantial amounts of processed meats, red meat, refined grains, and sweetened beverages. These have been shown to increase the incidence of colorectal cancer in both men and women in the US.

The JAMA issue contained an article describing a study that followed 121,000 adults for 26 years. It found those who consumed a pro-inflammatory diet had a significantly higher incidence of colorectal cancer than those who did not.

What to do to? I would suggest following the words of respected author Michael Pollan- “Eat real food…not too much…mostly plants.” Eating an Asian diet, Mediterranean diet, or a Blue Zone diet is such a delicious approach to self care. Our need for protein is only about 10%-15% of our caloric intake, and protein can be used as a condiment, flavoring our vegetable and starch-based, low-fat meals.

Here’s to your good health, and a long life.

Dateline: Latham, Albany County, New York State