Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in England, with about 23,000 diagnoses per year. Excessive consumption of red meat is one of the main causes. A study, conducted at the University of Oxford (UK), warns by showing that even a modest intake of red meat can increase the risk of intestine cancer incidence. The research results were published in the International Journal of Epidemiology (June 2019).
Previously, numerous scientifi c studies have already been conducted on the association of the development of bowel cancer and the consumption of red meat. Investigations mainly related to diets relating to the 90s and before. The new Oxford study (funded in part by Cancer Research UK) provides updated data and sheds light, with a more current view, on the dangers of red meat consumption today. The study monitored, for an average of 5.7 years (from 2006 to 2010) a sample of almost 500 thousand individuals of both sexes, aged between 40 and 69 years. Participants were asked to fi ll out questionnaires on how often they ate red meat, processed and otherwise. The results indicated that even small amounts of meat (be it roast beef, lamb, ham, bacon or other) consumed every day can increase the chance of developing bowel cancer by 20%. That is, of the 475,581 people who participated in the study, 2609 developed colon cancer.
Data analysis revealed that subjects who reported an average consumption of 76 g (2.7 oz) per day of red and processed meat reported a 20% greater risk for colorectal cancer, compared to those who stated to consume 21 g (0.7 oz) per day. In particular, in regard to processed meat only, the risk of bowel cancer was greater than 19% in individuals who consumed an average of 29 g (1 oz) per day, compared to those who ate only 5 g (0.2 oz) per day. For unprocessed red meats, the risk was 15% higher in those who ate 54 grams per day, compared to those who ate only 8 g (0.3 oz) per day. An interesting fact refers to fi ber intake from bread and breakfast cereals. In this case, the participants had a 14% reduced risk of colorectal cancer. While the consumption of alcohol (for an intake exceeding 10 g/ 0.3 oz per day) was associated with an 8% greater risk. Fish, poultry, cheese, fruit, vegetables, tea and coffee, on the other hand, have not been associated with the risk of bowel cancer. The indication is to minimize the intake of red and processed meat, to no more than twice a week. Some experts recommend to completely eliminate red meat from our tables.
New research pairs fasting-mimicking diet with adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. The study published in Nature Communications was conducted in several hospital centers in the Netherlands in collaboration with the research group of Professor Valter Longo. The results of this study add to the pre-clinical results and suggest, for the fi rst time in patients, that the fasting-mimicking diet is safe and effective in combination with chemotherapy in women with early-stage breast cancer.
Studies in mice have shown that fasting-mimicking diet cycles, in combination with a wide range of anti-cancer therapies, can protect against the side effects of chemotherapy, inhibit the progression of a wide variety of cancers and increase the therapeutic effi cacy of chemotherapy. There are also some clinical trials that have already evaluated the potential of fasting to improve cancer treatment, and that have mainly focused on patient feasibility and treatment toxicity. Proceeding in chronological order, the fi rst published study focuses on the collection by Professor Longo and his collaborators of data on ten people, who voluntarily chose to fast in conjunction with chemotherapy. The fi ndings suggest that fasting in combination with chemotherapy is feasible, safe, and has the potential to decrease the side effects caused by chemotherapy. The second study, by the University of Leiden, examined the feasibility of short-term fasting and its effects on the tolerance of chemotherapy in a homogeneous group of patients with ovarian or breast cancer. Fasting during chemotherapy was well tolerated and showed a reduction in side effects. A clinical study published by Professor Longo in 2016 saw 18 patients fast on water alone for 24, 48 or 72 hours before platinum-based chemotherapy, and was conducted to evaluate its safety and feasibility in cancer patients. The potential protective effects of 72-hour fasting compared to 24-hour fasting with breast, ovarian, uterus and lung cancer were visible. The last article studied the feasibility and effects on the quality of life and well-being of short-term fasting during chemotherapy in patients with gynecological cancer (ovary and breast). Short-term fasting during chemotherapy is well tolerated and appears to improve the quality of life and fatigue during the therapy itself.
131 patients with stage II or III (HER2 negative) breast cancer were recruited for this study. 65 of these were asked to adopt a fasting-mimicking diet, starting 3 days before adjuvant chemotherapy. The remaining patients continued with their usual diet. Overall, these data are in agreement with previous studies, demonstrating that the fasting-mimicking diet is safe and effective in addition to chemotherapy, at least in patients with a normal body mass index at the time of enrollment. In addition, patients who followed the fasting-mimicking diet for multiple cycles of chemotherapy had improvements in radiological response and were more likely to decrease tumor cells by 90- 100%. In patients who have followed multiple fasting-mimicking diets, the damage induced by chemotherapy to the DNA of the T lymphocytes is signifi cantly reduced. It can be said that fasting has been shown to be safe in conjunction with chemotherapy treatments and has helped to reduce the adverse effects of the treatments themselves. However, new and more in-depth studies are needed to describe in detail the effect of the fasting-mimicking diet in this and other types of cancers. Currently, there are several clinical trials underway to verify the safety and effi cacy of the fasting-mimicking diet, particularly on the side effects of anti-cancer treatments and the enhancement of standard therapies. For more information about fasting and cancer, read Professor Longo’s last book Fasting Cancer (forthcoming in English).
