Cut Fat, Protect Your Colon

reprinted from RealAge.com

Cheeseburgers and ice cream. We love to eat ’em, even though they clog our arteries and pad our bellies. But here’s one more good reason to cut back: Cancer of the small intestine.

A large long-term study showed that high intakes of saturated fat — the kind found mainly in dairy and other animal-based foods — may bump up the risk for this rare but particularly dangerous form of cancer.

Multiple Risks in One Saturated fat may increase the risk for this cancer because of the bile acids your body uses to digest the fat. These acids can cause oxidative stress and subsequent cancer-causing damage to the DNA in the small intestine. And cancer of the small intestine may be extra hazardous because it could jack up the risk of other forms of cancer, including colon and rectal cancers.  Learn More