- Colorectal cancer rates in younger people have been rising for the past two decades.
- Eating fiber-filled whole grains and avoiding saturated fats can help reduce the risk, research suggests.
- Meredy Birdi, a cancer dietician, shared three dinner recipes to help prevent colorectal cancer.
Colon cancer cases are rising in younger people, and experts don't yet know why. But certain lifestyle factors are thought to decrease the risk of developing the disease.
Over the past two decades, deaths from colon cancer in people under 55 have steadily risen by around 2% a year, according to the American Cancer Society. It is now the deadliest cancer for men under 50 in the US, and the second deadliest for women the same age. In 2020, around $24.3 billion was spent on treating colorectal cancer, accounting for 12.6% of all US cancer treatment costs, according to the ACS.
Alcohol, a lack of physical activity, and eating a traditional Western diet can all increase colon cancer risk, Meredy Birdi, a cancer dietitian based in London, told Business Insider. This means a diet high in ultra-processed foods, refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pizza, and cookies, and saturated fats found in fatty meats and butter, that's also lacking in fiber, she said.
Fiber comes from plants such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and there's strong evidence to suggest that it lowers colon cancer risk. It feeds the good bacteria in the gut, Birdi said, which protect the gut lining. It also acts as nature's broom, sweeping out toxins, she said.
Birdi said that people should aim to eat plant-based 75% of the time. "It's about balance. So nobody needs to worry about the occasional things that they do," she said.
She shared three fiber-filled dinner recipes that could help prevent colon cancer with BI.
Bean chili with brown rice
Beans are an excellent source of fiber as well as plant-based protein. They're a good substitute for red meat, which has been linked to an increased risk of colon cancer, according to the World Cancer Research Fund International, a cancer-prevention organization focused on how diet, weight, and physical activity can affect cancer survival rates.
A bean chili with vegetables and brown rice is a simple, high-fiber dinner that contains legumes, whole grains, and vegetables, Birdi said. She recommended this recipe shared by the WCRF, but specified that it's best to use olive oil, a source of healthy unsaturated fats.
It takes 25 minutes to make, and it contains six portions of vegetables.
Vegan jambalaya
Jambalaya is a one-pot rice dish that originated in Louisana. It's typically made with meat or seafood, but if you make a vegan version, it becomes a higher-fiber, nutrient-dense dish.
Birdi recommended this recipe, which substitutes animal products for butter beans. The recipe also calls for brown rice, which contains more fiber than its white counterpart.
You'll need garlic, chopped tomatoes, onion, celery, yellow pepper, herbs, spices, and vegetable stock. It cooks in 35 minutes.
Turkey and chickpea curry
Another delicious dinner option is a turkey and chickpea curry, she said. It's high in protein and fiber.
Chickpeas contain nearly 15 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber per cup, which is close to half the recommended daily dose of fiber, while turkey is a lean source of protein.
Birdi uses this recipe but recommends using olive oil instead of vegetable oil, as the recipe states. Extra virgin olive oil, in particular, contains more healthy fats and antioxidants than vegetable oil, according to Healthline.