4 Fruits to Help Reduce Colon Cancer Risk, According to a Gastroenterologist
Fruits like watermelon, apples, kiwi and citrus can help lower colon cancer risk.
These findings are supported by data published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.
Gastroenterologist Joseph Salhab, D.O., also explains the fruits' essential antioxidants.According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer impacts more than 100,000 Americans every year. It's important to incorporate healthy foods into your routine that may mitigate your risk of colorectal cancer, and there are a variety of fruits that could help with that.
Gastroenterologist Joseph Salhab, D.O., took to Instagram to share some of his favorite fruits that have been shown to reduce colon cancer risk, per a 2023 study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology. Here are some of the fruits he suggests to stock up on—plus some recipes to try featuring the gut-friendly produce.
Related: 3 Colon Cancer Symptoms & When to See Your Doctor, According to an Oncologist
Watermelon isn't just delicious; according to recent data, regular intake of the fruit may also lower your risk of colon cancer by 26%. The gastroenterologist highly recommends summer's favorite fruit because it 'contains lycopene, an antioxidant that may protect against cell damage.'
As Salhab points out, antioxidant-rich watermelon is ultra-hydrating, and staying hydrated can support your gut health and keep you regular. Enjoy it savory in a Watermelon, Cucumber & Feta Salad or embrace its sweetness in our No-Churn Watermelon Ice Cream.
An apple a day could potentially keep the doctor away, thanks to its nutrient density. Apples are packed with gut-healthy fiber, and a higher intake of the fruit can reduce colon cancer risk by 25%. Plus, apples contain polyphenols, which Salhab notes have 'antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.'
Related: The Top 7 Anti-Inflammatory Nutrients, According to Dietitians
Apples are easy to pack and delicious as-is, but they're also great in salads, overnight oats or when paired with peanut butter for a fiber- and protein-packed bite.
Providing a 13% reduction in colorectal cancer risk, Salhab says that kiwi is an 'excellent source of fiber, aiding in digestive health.' The vibrant, tangy fruit is also rich in vitamin C, which can help support your immune system, heart health and skin health.
Kiwis make a great addition to fruit salads and yogurt-granola bowls, but they can also be spotlighted in savory recipes, like in these Easy Fish Tacos with Kiwi Salsa.
Eating a variety of citrus fruits, like oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes and tangerines, can be a key factor to lowering the risk of colon cancer, with data showing a higher intake of these fruits may reduce risk by 9%. The gastroenterologist states that citrus fruits are 'rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals, potentially reducing DNA damage.'
Related: 6 Foods With More Vitamin C than an Orange
Citrus fruits also contain flavonoids, a class of polyphenols that can aid healthy aging, fight inflammation and may reduce cancer risk. Ring in warmer weather and support your gut health by making a Citrus Salad with Pomegranate & Mint or a zero-waste Orange Peel Smoothie.
If you're looking to support your gut health, increasing your intake of fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts can help. Per recent research, watermelon, apple, kiwi and citrus fruits specifically can help lower your colon cancer risk. Talk to your doctor or dietitian for a more personalized plan to help maintain a gut-healthy eating pattern.
Related: This Underrated Nutrient Could Help Lower Your Colon Cancer Risk by 30%, New Study Says
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Buzz Feed
6 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
102 Weird Facts That Are Wild, Random, And Fun
I don't know about anyone else, but I love learning interesting, bizarre, and straight-up weird facts about anything and everything. (In fact, it's quite a conversation starter.) That said, here are some wacky, intriguing, strange, and somewhat funny facts that sound somewhat fake but are entirely true: Germany has more castles than there are McDonald's in the United States. Yep, you heard that right. Germany is estimated to have 25,000 castles, and there are around 13,000 McDonald's locations in America. In Washington state, there's a real-life law stating it's illegal to kill Bigfoot and other sasquatch-like creatures. And you know what? Good for them. Dogs are one of the three deadliest animals in the UK. The other two are bees and cows. Sloths are slow in everything they do — including digestion. Because they digest foods so slowly, they basically have to breathe out their farts because they can't *actually* fart. If a bunch of gas builds up in a sloth's intestines, it could get sick and potentially even burst. Rather than farting, the gases are reabsorbed into the bloodstream and are then respired out of the about morning breath. There are caves in Missouri that store 1.4 billion pounds of government-owned cheese. Located deep in the Ozark Mountains in limestone-converted mines, the caves are kept at a perfect 36°F. As someone who's lactose intolerant, my stomach is in knots just thinking about it. This one actually made me do a double-take: Cornflakes were invented to suppress sexual impulses and desires. John Harvey Kellogg invented cornflakes in 1894, but it was later used as part of an extreme diet promoted by his church to basically suppress horniness. Kellog thought sex and masturbation were abnormal and unhealthy, so he believed cornflakes — and their lack of flavor — would help fight off any desire. Cockroach dust plays a part in why so many inner-city children have asthma. A single cloud can weigh about 550 tons or more. Believe it or not, Canadians eat more Kraft macaroni and cheese than Americans. Like, 55% more. Giraffes in the wild only sleep for around five minutes at a time. Because of the dangers they face in the wild, not only do they sleep while standing, but they also sleep intermittently so that they're prepared to run at any given moment. If keeping watch for a giraffe as they slept was a job, I'd apply in a heartbeat. Snoop Dogg's government name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. Despite being four inches long, the mantis shrimp throws the fastest punch in the world. The definition of small but mighty, mantis shrimps can throw punches up to 50mph — enough to break through their glass tanks. In Switzerland, owning only one guinea pig or parrot is illegal. If you're drunk or violent in Japan, police will take a plastic sheet and roll you up like a burrito. Police in Japan rarely ever resort to violence, as they choose to de-escalate the situation at hand first. After the wrapping, police will take the drunk or violent person to the station to let them calm down. If they wanted to, Clownfish could change their sex, including reproductive organs, through an irreversible process. No one commits to the bit better than Toni Collete. When she was a teen, she faked having appendicitis to get out of going to school so well that she actually got her appendix taken out. There's a rare neurological disorder called Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, which is a condition related to how you perceive your body, the world around you, or both. A grizzly bear's bite is strong enough to crush a bowling ball, but that won't stop my first instinct from being, "Aww, look how cute!" Twice a month, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport brings in miniature horses to help calm the nerves of people with flying anxiety. Male ducks have corkscrew-shaped penises. Miss Piggy's original name was going to be Piggy Lee. Fabulous either way. If you say you're not afraid of anything, I have some news for you: Humans are innately born with the fear of falling and loud noises. Whatever other fears one may have are shaped or learned with experience. Considering gelatin is made up of animal skin and bones, gummy worms technically have more bones than actual worms (since worms don't have any). Lady Gaga, bless her heart, once spent $50K on a ghost detector. To protect themselves from their super-strong pecks, woodpeckers wrap their tongues around their brains. What a cool party trick. For her role in Winter's Bone, Jennifer Lawrence learned how to skin a squirrel. Pound cake is called that because the original recipe used one pound of each ingredient. In the Great Barrier Reef, there's a coral reef that's taller than the Empire State Building. Male giraffes will taste a female giraffe's urine to see if she is ready to mate. Even in the animal kingdom, men cannot mind their business. On average, lightning strikes Earth 100 times per second. It saddens me to report that Winnie the Pooh was banned from a Polish playground because the honey-obsessed bear doesn't wear pants. As if it's his fault! Attempting to get kids to eat more vegetables, McDonald's engineer bubblegum-flavored broccoli. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't a hit. Blue whales are the baddies of the ocean (sorry, orcas), and if I were a sea creature, I would never, ever tussle with one, especially considering a blue whale's tongue alone can weigh more than an elephant. Due to their genes, redheads may need about 20% more anesthesia than non-redheads. I literally never thought about Barbie being called anything other than Barbie, but her full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. There are more possible chess game variations than atoms in the universe. The warty comb jellyfish doesn't have an anus, so when it needs to poop, its gut fuses with an outer layer of its "skin" to create a hole in its body. After the deed is done, the hole closes right back up. In Thailand, there's an annual Monkey Buffet Festival where residents of Lopburi leave 4.5 tons of fruit, veggies, and other treats to honor the approximately 3,000 monkeys that live near the Phra Prang Sam Yot temple. Way better than Coachella, IMO. I was pleased to find out that a buttload is an actual unit of measurement! One buttload is equivalent to 126 gallons of wine. Back in the day, Victorians ate arsenic to get a paler complexion. There's a church decorated with the bones of 40,000 people in Czechia. Sharks were roaming the planet before Saturn's rings formed. With this information, this is a shark's world, and we're all just living in it. There are more fake flamingos in the world than real ones. Humans typically produce 0.5 to 1.5 liters of saliva every day. Crocodiles can gallop like horses do. If you're afraid to go into the ocean because of sharks, you might want to avoid hotel hallways and break rooms, because vending machines are twice as likely to kill you. Though dead bones are dry and brittle, living bones are wet and a bit soft. In order to absorb pressure, bones are also slightly flexible. Up to one-third of a living bone's weight is water. "Gnurr" is the term used to describe the lint that collects at the bottom of your pockets. Scotland's national animal is a unicorn. The closest US state to Africa is Maine. If you sneeze uncontrollably after being suddenly exposed to bright light or intense sunlight, you might have inherited a genetic trait called Achoo Syndrome. Armadillos almost always give birth to identical quadruplets. As long as you legally obtain human flesh or limbs, cannibalism is allowed in the Netherlands. The short-horned lizard squirts blood out of its eyes — at a distance of up to three feet — to confuse predators. However, the blood contains a chemical that makes dogs, wolves, and coyotes noxious. Love that. A rainbow on Venus is called a "glory." Frogs use their eyes to help them swallow their meals. When a frog swallows food, its eyes pull down to the roof of their mouth to help push the food down its throat. Human brains are constantly eating themselves. To "cleanse" the system, cells will smother and consume smaller cells or molecules in a process called phagocytosis. The fear of long words is called hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. After seeing that, I'm scared, too. Ants don't have lungs. Instead, they breathe through tiny holes on the sides of their bodies called spiracles. When lightning strikes, the air it passes through can reach up to 50,000°F — five times hotter than the sun's surface. Due to thermal expansion, the Eiffel Tower can "grow" up to six inches in the summer. Tigers don't just have striped fur but skin, too! If you were to shave a tiger, you'd find identical striped markings as if they were tattoos. If you go to the sky deck of the Willis Tower in Chicago on a clear day, you can see four other US states: Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin. A blue whale's heartbeat can be heard from two miles away. Sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins. Dolphins must come to the surface almost every 10 minutes, but sloths can hold their breath for 20 minutes or more by slowing down their heart rates. Before toiler paper, corn cobs were used as a method of wiping. This one might unsettle you, but snails have teeth. Snails can have up to 1,000 to 12,000 teeth. I don't know what they need those for, but good for them! I hope they have snail dentists, then. While she was a teenager during World War II, Queen Elizabeth II became a junior officer in the Auxiliary Territorial Service and became a trained mechanic. The real name of a hashtag is actually octothorpe. Due to the anatomy of their neck muscles and spine, pigs cannot look up to the sky. Imagine being a pig and never knowing that there is a whole world above you. BRB, gonna cry for a sec. For most people, it's impossible to lick their elbows. (Go ahead, try it.) A French general gave John Quincy Adams an alligator as a gift. The gator was kept in one of the White House's bathtubs. Ostriches have bigger eyes than they do brains. In fact, among all land animals, ostriches have the biggest eyes. A dentist invented the electric chair as a method for execution. Simply put, I'm glad I wasn't his patient. Like fingerprints, human tongues also have unique tongueprints. If you've ever wondered what to call that blob of toothpaste you squeeze onto your toothbrush, it's called a nurdle. Animals process time differently depending on their size. Research suggests that smaller animals like mice and lizards process time faster than larger animals like elephants and giraffes. This is also true about animals that fly and marine predators. Due to fast-paced lifestyles, these animals have visual systems that take in changes at higher and faster rates. Competitive art was considered a sport for the first four decades of the modern Olympics. Artists could earn medals for painting, architecture, sculpting, and music. America would win in the music category every time so long as Beyoncé is willing to compete. From 1924–1954, stop signs used to be yellow. At the time, red dyes faded after a while, so the American Association of State Highway Officials went with yellow dye, which didn't fade. It wasn't until the 1950s that sign makers began using fade-resistant enamel. If you thought Abraham Lincoln wasn't fascinating enough, the dude is honored in the Wrestling Hall of Fame. He often competed in wrestling matches when he was younger and rarely lost. In 1992, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame formally inducted the former president as an "Outstanding American." There's even a mural of Lincoln inside the Hall of Fame museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma. If you've ever used a reindeer and a caribou in the same sentence, thinking you were referencing different animals (I'm definitely guilty), I'm sorry to announce that they're the same species. Among the world's five ocean basins, the Atlantic Ocean takes the cake as the saltiest. The inside of a Kit Kat is made up of a small amount of other Kit Kats, usually ones that cannot be sold. Unfortunately, George Washington died not knowing dinosaurs existed. The first and former president died in 1799, while the first official description of dinosaurs happened in 1842. Sad. Humans don't always see their noses because our brains filter out "useless" things to better grasp our surroundings. A polar bear's fur isn't actually white; it's translucent. It only appears white because it reflects visible light. It's certainly possible to use sign language with an accent. Australia is wider than the moon. The moon's diameter is around 2,112 miles, while Australia's is 2,485 miles. The fastest-moving muscle in the human body is the eyes. It's called the orbicularis oculi, and we have one in each eye. The Olympic rings were first produced in 1913, and they were designed to include all participating nations. The rings' colors, along with the white background, reflect the colors found on all of the countries' flags. How wholesome! There was once a French king who believed he was made of glass. King Charles IV had a psychiatric disorder called "Glass Delusion" and thought that he would shatter if anyone touched him. Beer was banned in Iceland until 1989. Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Steet was originally orange instead of green. In the show's first season, Oscar was orange partly due to some limitations of colorized TV at the time. It wasn't until season 2 that he turned green. If you ever wondered where the term "honeymoon" came from, it originated in the Middle Ages. When there was a newly married couple, they'd be supplied enough honey wine to last the first month of their marriage. Due to increased blood flow to the fingertips, human fingernails grow faster during summertime. Illinois is known as the pumpkin capital of the United States. A housefly's feet are 10 million times more sensitive than a human tongue. California experiences over 100,000 earthquakes a year. Thankfully, though, many of them are minor or are barely felt at all! Every year, Norway gifts London a huge Christmas tree, which is then decorated and displayed in Trafalgar Square. The tree serves as a thank-you gift for all the help the UK gave Norway during WWII. Owls sometimes swallow their food whole. The average Swiss person consumes about 48 pounds of cheese per year. Lastly: Walt Disney made it a rule for Disneyland not to sell chewing gum to keep the park clean. Wow, my brain is sweating from absorbing all that info. Instead of sending a "good morning" text, I'm just going to send one of these facts every day without any context. Do you know any interesting and fascinating facts? Let me know in the comments!
Los Angeles Times
10 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Opinion: A generation plugged in, tuned out
At just nine years old, a child today can hold the world in their hands – yet lose touch with the one around them. For much of Generation Z, this is a reality. Like many kids, I got my first phone not because I needed one, but because peer pressure made it feel like I'd be left behind without it. After countless months of begging my parents, they bought me my first phone. With a brand new iPhone 7 in hand, I felt like I had unlocked the rite of passage. However, once I downloaded popular social media apps – Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok – my life turned around. Social media exposed me to conversations that I wasn't ready for. There comes a point in a child's life when they start to become subject to peer pressure. According to Children's Health , peer pressure begins as early as age ten with the formation of friend groups in elementary school. Peer pressure can come in many different shapes and sizes: what you wear, how you act, and now, whether you own a phone. When it comes to peer pressure caused by phones, it more specifically goes under the category of ' social conformity . ' Social conformity is the tendency for one to adjust their thoughts, beliefs, or lifestyle to align with those in a group or a social norm. The tendency for children or teenagers to succumb to social conformity is becoming more and more prevalent in this day and age. Social media is dangerous. While it isn't physically dangerous, social media has created a culture of comparison and hate speech. According to the Anti-Defamation League's annual survey , up to 22% of Americans reported experiencing hate speech online. For children and teens, especially, this can be harmful. The harm is rooted in a child's maturity level. Now more than ever, before children develop proper emotional and psychological tools, they are shown explicit and harmful content. Instead of connecting and building confidence, kids often find themselves isolated and insecure. In fact, a survey conducted by the Royal Society for Public Health questioned 14-24-year-olds on how UK social media has impacted their health. The results revealed that Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all led to increased feelings of depression, anxiety, poor body image, and loneliness. As social media platforms continue to shape young minds, it's important to make a change. While it's nearly impossible to disconnect children from social media completely, we can reform these platforms from within. Now, more than ever, it's crucial to enforce extra precautions through stricter content moderation, promoting digital literacy, and holding platforms accountable for the harmful environments they create. Together, we must aim to create a space that fosters well-being and connection rather than harm and isolation. Related
New York Post
12 hours ago
- New York Post
Some seniors have a ‘fountain of youth' in their immune systems — but it comes with a major downside
Staying young might not be all it's cracked up to be. While most people experience a decline in immune function with age, new research has found that a fortunate few maintain a powerful defense thanks to rare immune cells that stay active well into their senior years. But this 'fountain of youth' effect comes at a cost. The same immune strength that helps ward off infections may also increase the risk of serious diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis. Advertisement 3 New research suggests that seniors with youthful immune systems might be more prone to autoimmunity. lordn – Mayo Clinic researchers discovered cells linked to what they call 'immune youth' while analyzing data from more than 100 older patients being treated for giant cell arteritis. This autoimmune disease causes inflammation and narrowing of arteries — especially those in the head and neck — restricting blood flow and potentially leading to significant complications if left untreated, like vision loss. Advertisement In the affected tissue of these patients, the team found specialized immune cells called stem-like T cells. Usually, these cells function like young stem cells that support healing and growth, but in this instance, they were fueling the spread of the disease. 'We observed that these patients have very young immune systems despite being in their 60s and 70s. But the price they pay for that is autoimmunity,' Dr. Cornelia Weyand, a rheumatologist and lead author of the study, said in a statement. 3 Malfunctions in the immune system can cause immune cells to mistakenly attack the body's own healthy tissues instead of targeting foreign invaders. Design Cells – Advertisement Autoimmunity occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues and organs. This can lead to a range of autoimmune diseases, with symptoms varying from mild and manageable to severe and debilitating. The researchers also found that immune checkpoint inhibitors — proteins that act as 'brakes' on the immune system — were not functioning properly in the giant cell arteritis patients with stem-like T cells. 'Contrary to what one may think, there are benefits to having an immune system that ages in tandem with the body,' said Dr. Jörg Goronzy, a Mayo Clinic aging researcher and co-lead author of the study. Advertisement 'We need to consider the price to pay for immune youthfulness,' he continued. 'That price can be autoimmune disease.' 3 Studies show that autoimmune diseases are on the rise, particularly among adults ages 50 and older. Nadia L/ – Across the country, an estimated 50 million Americans — about 15% of the population — live with autoimmune diseases, and research indicates these numbers are increasing. Some of the most common autoimmune disorders include Crohn's disease, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, celiac disease and psoriasis. Conditions like giant cell arteritis and Sjögren's syndrome, which attacks the body's moisture-producing glands, are especially prevalent among older adults. 'We want to learn from them,' Weyand said, referring to those with a 'fountain of youth' in their immune systems. Building on this discovery, the researchers are developing new diagnostic tests to identify patients — and even healthy people — who carry high levels of immune stem cells and may be at greater risk of developing autoimmune diseases later in life. Timely identification is crucial because patient outcomes can be significantly improved with early intervention, helping to prevent or slow disease progression, reduce long-term complications, and enhance quality of life.
