The next time you order up a quesadilla, burrito, or tamale, don't forget to add a side of rice and beans -- your colon will thank you.
Turns out that simply eating beans three times a week, and brown rice once a week, could help prevent colon cancer.
You Are What You Eat
For three years, researchers tracked nearly 3,000 people who had colonoscopies, comparing their diets along to their incidence of colon polyps (tiny growths in the colon that lead to colon cancer). People who ate beans three times a week were 33 percent less likely to develop polyps, and those who also ate brown rice just once a week cut their risk by 40 percent. Other foods also helped: cooked green vegetables (once a day) and dried fruit (three times a week). They reduced the risk of polyps by about 25 percent. (Related: Doing this 3 times a week will also help reduce your risk of colon polyps.)
The F Word
What is it about beans, rice, green veggies, and dried fruit that keeps your colon cancer-free? In a word: fiber. And lots of it. Fiber is a known anti-carcinogen. But that's not all, folks. Scientists think there may be something else at play in these foods -- perhaps a perfect storm of various nutrients working together that helps prevent cancer. As if that weren't enough, a high-fiber diet also helps steady your blood sugar, control your appetite, and lower your cholesterol.
Turns out that simply eating beans three times a week, and brown rice once a week, could help prevent colon cancer.
You Are What You Eat
For three years, researchers tracked nearly 3,000 people who had colonoscopies, comparing their diets along to their incidence of colon polyps (tiny growths in the colon that lead to colon cancer). People who ate beans three times a week were 33 percent less likely to develop polyps, and those who also ate brown rice just once a week cut their risk by 40 percent. Other foods also helped: cooked green vegetables (once a day) and dried fruit (three times a week). They reduced the risk of polyps by about 25 percent. (Related: Doing this 3 times a week will also help reduce your risk of colon polyps.)
The F Word
What is it about beans, rice, green veggies, and dried fruit that keeps your colon cancer-free? In a word: fiber. And lots of it. Fiber is a known anti-carcinogen. But that's not all, folks. Scientists think there may be something else at play in these foods -- perhaps a perfect storm of various nutrients working together that helps prevent cancer. As if that weren't enough, a high-fiber diet also helps steady your blood sugar, control your appetite, and lower your cholesterol.
