Eating junk food can turn into colorectal cancer for people with a genetic predisposition to certain types of cancer, according to a new study.
The study involved 486 people with Lynch syndrome. This is a hereditary disease caused by mutations in the genes that, in the normal state, help repair DNA in cells. People with this condition have a high risk of developing not only colorectal cancer, but also endometrial cancer and other types of cancer at an early age.
Earlier studies have shown that drinking alcohol, red meat, and processed meats can increase the likelihood of developing cancer in patients with Lynch syndrome. Other possible risk factors include smoking and obesity.
Participants in this study provided information on their eating habits and were observed for approximately 20 months. During this time, polyps (precancerous neoplasms) were found in 58 patients.
"We saw that patients with Lynch syndrome who ate more junk food, chips or fried foods, risked twice as much as patients with the same hereditary disease, but not keen on snacks," says study author Akke Botma from the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands.
Unfortunately, this does not mean that a diet with a low consumption of snack foods will prevent the appearance and development of any polyps, but this may mean that those patients with Lynch syndrome who eat them in large quantities might not have as many polyps if if they had a different, healthier diet.
And most importantly ... many people may simply not know about such a predisposition. And therefore it is better to protect yourself in advance from healthy meals from all kinds of troubles that you do not even suspect.
