Want To Reduce Your Risk Of Colon Cancer? Just Eat Walnuts

A team of researchers from UConn Health discovered that eating walnuts may change gut bacteria and can reduce one's risk of developing colon cancer.

According to UConn Today, a research team from UConn Health and The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine did a study where mice were fed walnuts which summed up to 7 percent to 10.5 percent of their total calories, had fewer instances of colon cancer.

The effect was more observable in male mice, which had 2.3 times fewer tumors when they were fed walnuts as part of their diet like a normal American. The walnut serving fed to mice in the study is equivalent to an ounce of walnuts a day.

"Our results show for the first time that walnut consumption may reduce colon tumor development," said Daniel W. Rosenberg of UConn Health, principal investigator on the study. "There is accumulating evidence that eating walnuts may offer a variety of benefits related to health issues like cancer. This study shows that walnuts may also act as a probiotic to make the colon healthy, which in turn offers protection against colon tumors."

The Financial Tribune reported that walnuts have more polyunsaturated fatty acids than any other commonly eaten tree nuts. They also have a significant amount of vitamin E. Walnuts also contain antioxidants more than any nut, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, which is good in fighting inflammation. Walnuts also contain high levels of manganese which can reduce PMS symptoms.

 But walnuts are not merely the sum of their chemical parts, and it may be as a whole food that they pack the most significant anti-cancer punch against colon cancer, the third most common cancer in the world," says Kim Krieger of UConn Communications, Medical News Today reported.

"Other studies have shown walnuts have promise warding off diseases connected to diet and lifestyle, including heart disease, diabetes, and neurological disorders."