Ways to Prevent Colon Cancer

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Cancer has been on my mind a lot recently. My sister was diagnosed  with leukemia this year and recently received a bone marrow transplant. A friend of mine recently lost her battle with colorectal cancer. I hate cancer.

While leukemia isn't necessarily a cancer that you can prevent, there are things that you can do to reduce your risk of developing colon cancer. The Siteman Cancer Center shares the following tips.

How to Prevent Colon Cancer

• Regular screening: The first thing my friend said to me when she found out that she had colon cancer was to get screened early and regularly. There are several colon cancer tests that most doctors recommend you undergo if you are 50 or older, or have a family history of colon cancer.
  
  The following are some tests and their recommended frequency. Talk to your doctor about the best tests for you: 
• Fecal occult blood test or fecal immunochemical test (stool test): Every year
• Colonoscopy: Every 10 years 
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy: Every 5 years
• Virtual colonoscopy: Every 5 years 

• Don't smoke.
• Have an active lifestyle: Exercise regularly. 

• Maintain a healthy weight: The Siteman Cancer Center states, "Except for smoking, nothing else raises the overall risk of cancer more than being overweight."
• Avoid alcohol: While red wine may help improve heart health, alcohol in general increases your risk of developing colon cancer.
• Consume enough vitamins and minerals: About 1,200 milligrams of calcium and 1,000 IU (international units) of vitamin D per day may help reduce your risk of developing colorectal cancer. It may also be a good idea to take a multivitamin that contains folate. Talk to your doctor about the best supplements for you.
• Consider low-dose aspirin: The Siteman Cancer Center says there's evidence that long-term use of low-dose aspirin can help prevent a heart attack and reduce your risk of developing colon cancer. Talk to your doctor to learn if this is a good option for your.
• Eat healthy: Eat a diet that's rich in dark, leafy greens and fiber. Make red meat a "sometimes" food.

Probiotics and Colon Cleansers to Prevent Colorectal Cancer

At the time of publication, there isn't any evidence that products like colon cleansers or probiotic supplements can prevent colon cancer. However, maintaining regularity in regards to your GI tract may help.

I recently had the opportunity to try Pro-15 by Hyperbiotics, the Amazing Miracle Cleanse by Green Tea Life Sciences and Colon Cleanse Detox Plus by HealthyNow Nutritionals.

I did not use any of the products as a cleanse or to lose weight. Instead, I tried them for their main recommended use -- the promotion of digestive regularity. I take medications, so sometimes my gut needs a little help. Here's what I thought:

• Hyperbiotics PRO-15: Out of the three products I tested, this was my favorite. It provided my gut with healthy bacteria that aids digestion without the need to eat yogurt. The tablets are small and the probiotics didn't make my stomach hurt at all. I took one tablet a day, but you can take up to three. 

• The Amazing Miracle Cleanse: I'm not sure if there's anything amazing or miraculous about this product, but I can say that it works. I took one tablet at night and about 12 hours later (as the instructions promised), the supplement did its job. The only thing I didn't like was the slight cramping and stomach discomfort.

• Colon Cleanse Detox Plus: This supplement worked well the first couple of times that I took it, but then it stopped. Like the Amazing Miracle Cleanse, I took one supplement at night. When it did work, I didn't experience any of stomach discomfort that I felt with the other product. Maybe I need to take two tablets at night. 

If you think you need colon cleanse to help your gut, do what the girl in the vitamin section of Whole Foods told me: eat mostly vegetables or consider a juice fast; your body will naturally regulate itself.

Never use colon cleansing products to lose weight or as weigh loss aids.

If you experience digestive problems, it's best to talk to your doctor.

This post contains affiliate links. I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.