Re: Reducing the risks of Colon Cancer through Exercise.

From: Wally D (waltdannenberg_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 10/30/04 

Date: 30 Oct 2004 10:28:35 -0700

Alan,

That was an interesting article. Exercise has many benefits, and I
would like to believe that the possibility of reducing colon cancer is
likely. As they say, a good diet and exercise doesn't hurt anyone.
Although it will probably take even more studies to gain more insight
on the subject, exercise does offer many other health benefits.
Thanks for your posting and for the information.

-Wally D

Alan_sli@yahoo.com (Alan F.) wrote in message news:<1054f97c.0410292105.7f5924ea@posting.google.com>...
> I actually wanted to share these sites with the group after reading a
> reply from SJ to another thread on this group (Connection Between
> Colon Cancer And Diet). I thought it might be useful to see what was
> being written about exercise and the fight against colon cancer. We
> all know that exercising is good for us and may of us including myself
> find it hard to exercise so this may get some of us motivated enough
> to get up and go out there and work out, it helps a lot with the body
> and has proven to help focus the mind as well.
>
> Ok, anyway here are the articles, again I picked and chose a couple of
> paragraphs that were relevant for this topic, but have also included
> the links for the sites that the information was taken from.
>
> Thanks and I hope we all get more exercise in,
>
> Alan F.
>
> http://www.alternative-cancer-treatments.com/colon-cancer-exercise.htm
>
> -Colorectal Cancer and Exercise
>
> The role of exercise in cancer is the subject of many studies and
> considerable debate at present. The cancer most studied for its
> relationship to cancer is colorectal cancer. In fact, at least 30
> studies have examined the association between physical activity and
> developing colon cancer.
>
> -Colon Cancer
>
> At least 29 studies have focused on the relationship between colon
> cancer and exercise. These studies were conducted in diverse
> population groups in various countries including China, Denmark,
> Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States.
> Of these, 14 reported a significant relationship between exercise and
> colon cancer. Specifically, increase in activity led towards a
> decrease in colon cancer risk. Four of the studies showed no
> relationship.
>
> Just looking at a couple of the studies highlights some interesting
> observations. For example, Lee and his colleagues (Lee et al., 1991)
> looked at over 17,000 Harvard alumni, aged 30-79 years who were
> followed prospectively for the occurrence of colon cancer and rectal
> cancer. They found that physical activity based on self-reported
> stair climbing, walking and sports play was not associated with a
> change in risk for colon cancer. On the other hand, highly active
> individuals (energy expenditure of > 2500 kilocalories per week) had
> half the incidence of those that expended less than 1000 kilocalories
> per week. As a matter of clarification for the reader, what most lay
> people call a calorie is technically a kilocalorie, or Kcal.
>
> Bottom line: in this large study, vigorous activity was associated
> with a significant decrease in the risk of developing colon cancer.
> Another study, this one from Stanford University (Whittemore et al.
> 1990), looked at colon cancer risks among Chinese men and women living
> both in the People's Republic of China, and the Western United States.
> This study looked at exercise and diet as risk factors for colon
> cancer. The findings indicate that the group that spent the most time
> sitting (reflecting sedentary lifestyles and occupations) had the
> highest incidence of colon cancer. Other interesting findings were
> that a diet high in saturated fat was also a risk factor, and that
> those who were most sedentary and consumed the most saturated fat had
> a four fold higher incidence of colon cancer than those who were the
> least sedentary and consumed the least saturated fat.
>
>
> http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0845.htm
>
> -What increases your risk?
>
> Research has shown that high-fat and/or low-fibre diets seem to
> increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Other factors such as obesity,
> as well as alcohol and tobacco use, enhance the likelihood of
> colorectal cancer. That's why doctors and colorectal-cancer
> researchers often recommend a diet which is low in fat and rich in
> fruits, vegetables, and fibre. Experts contend that up to 40 per cent
> of all colorectal cancer cases could be prevented by following a good
> diet, avoiding obesity, shunning tobacco, and consuming alcohol only
> in moderation.
>
> The good news for athletes is that regular exercise has also been
> linked with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer. In a recent study
> carried out at Chang Gung University in Taiwan, men who exercised
> regularly had an 83-per cent lower risk of colon cancer, compared with
> men who were sedentary (International Journal of Cancer, vol. 82, pp.
> 484-489, 1999). This research supports several previous investigations
> which also linked strenuous exercise with a reduced chance of
> developing colorectal cancer - regardless of gender. No one knows
> exactly how much exercise is needed to lower the risk, or even whether
> moderate training (about 30 miles per week for runners, for example)
> is better than low-level training (10 to 15 miles per week), but it's
> reasonable to think that every endurance athlete who trains fairly
> regularly is gaining at least some protection.
>
> The mechanism underlying the exercise and colon-cancer connection is
> unknown, although researchers speculate that athletes tend to defecate
> more often than sedentary individuals (exercise tends to enhance
> intestinal motility). This more-frequent-defecation pattern decreases
> the period of time that potential carcinogens within the colon are
> actually in contact with the lining of the large intestine.
>
> -H2O flushes cancer
>
> Interestingly enough, the same Taiwanese study determined that
> drinking rather copious quantities of water also decreased the risk of
> colorectal cancer. In the research, men who consumed the most water
> had a 92-per cent lower risk of developing colorectal cancer, compared
> to men who drank the least amount of water. The mechanism for this may
> be similar to the one associated with exercise: High water intakes
> tend to soften up gut contents, decreasing the transit time of food
> through the intestines and also diluting the concentrations of
> potential carcinogens. Incidentally, drinking large amounts of water
> has also been correlated - not surprisingly - with a lower risk of
> bladder cancer.

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