Could Your Diet Be Putting Your Colon Health at Risk?

Nov 10, 2026 0 comments

In the not-too-distant past, colon cancer was largely considered to be a concern for older adults (over age 50).

My mother was 56 when she was diagnosed and ended up with a permanent colostomy. (By the grace of God, she lived another 38 years. However, not being able to carry out a bowel movement as Nature intended was quite a burden.)

But now colon cancer is increasingly affecting younger adults (under age 45). In fact, studies have shown that the number of early-onset colorectal cancer cases increased by approximately 49 percent worldwide between 1990 and 2021!

Why in the world would that be happening?

Well, while there are several factors that may be contributing to this troubling trend, one place we should certainly be looking is our refrigerators and pantries...

How an Unhealthy Diet Can Contribute to Colon Cancer

Although an unhealthy diet can affect your health in a variety of ways, including inadequate nutrient intake and excessive consumption of certain food additives, one particularly important connection between the foods you eat and your colon health lies in your gut.

Specifically, in how a steady diet of ultra-processed foods can affect your intestinal environment, including the delicate balance of bacteria that live there.

And let's not overlook the vegetable and seed oils that have become such a regular part of our modern food supply.

Here's what happens...

Your Gallant Gut

Your gut is an incredible environment that houses trillions of bacteria. Some are helpful, some are relatively harmless, and others have the potential to cause trouble when conditions allow them to multiply.

When your gut is functioning like it should, your beneficial bacteria help keep the potentially harmful ones "in check." This helps pave the way for proper digestion, effective nutrient absorption and healthy immune function (since a significant portion of your immune system is associated with your gut).

But when your diet is heavy on ultra-processed foods (for example: frozen meals and pizza, Cool Whip, noodle dishes like Ramen, and packaged snacks and sweets like Doritos or Little Debbie cakes), your gut may have a much harder time maintaining that healthy balance.

Many of these foods are low in fiber and loaded with refined ingredients, additives and vegetable or seed oils. And a steady diet of them can contribute to an unhealthy gut environment and conditions that promote inflammation.

I'm particularly concerned about how heavily we've come to rely on refined oils like canola, corn, safflower and soybean oil. Think: Mazola, Wesson Oil and Crisco, among others.

These oils are EVERYWHERE! And when they're routinely used in packaged foods, fried foods and restaurant meals, it's easy to consume far more of them than you might realize.

Over the last several decades, our consumption of ultra-processed foods and vegetable and seed oils has skyrocketed. And during that same time, we've seen a troubling increase in colon cancer among younger adults. Coincidence? Hmm. It's certainly worth asking some questions about what we're putting into our bodies every day!

Especially when you consider how much our everyday food choices can influence our gut health.

What to Do?

The good news here is that you can do a lot to support a healthier gut environment and help reduce some of the risk factors associated with colon cancer.

Here are some of the best ways you can show your gut some love!

Have a Healthy Diet of REAL Foods

This is by far one of the most important measures you can take.

It's crucial to have a diet built around healthy, real foods—fresh fruits and vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower), meats, poultry, wild-caught fish, eggs and dairy products.

As far as fats go, I prefer traditional cooking fats like butter, along with reasonable amounts of lard, tallow and other animal fats, rather than relying on refined oils.

Olive oil is also a wonderful choice for salad dressings, drizzling over meats and vegetables, and everyday cooking.

And of course, do your best to avoid making packaged, ultra-processed foods a regular part of your diet. - I know they're convenient, but this is your health and life we're talking about!

Plus, keep in mind that you can make many healthy meals with real foods that don't require a lot of time and effort.

For example, it's very easy to toss a pot roast and vegetables into a crockpot in the morning and have a delicious dinner at the end of the day.

Also, an air fryer is AWESOME for cooking fish fillets! Just drizzle with melted butter, season as you wish, and air fry for about 10–14 minutes at 400° (depending on thickness). Pair with a side of sautéed vegetables and a salad, and you'll have a dish that's as good as any seafood restaurant!

Get Regular Exercise

Regular exercise has been shown to support gut health in a few ways.

First, studies suggest that exercise can help increase the diversity of your microbiome and support a healthier inflammatory response.

Plus, exercise is a natural stress reliever. And since ongoing stress can affect your gut bacteria and digestive function, counteracting that stress with exercise is another way to support a healthy gut.

And lastly, regular physical activity helps encourage healthy intestinal movement and more regular digestion.

So, get your doctor's OK and get going!

Supplement with Turmeric

Now here's something interesting!

A study published in Cancer Letters looked at how curcumin (the compound in turmeric that gives it its golden color) affects a specific type of cell found in colon cancer.

These cancer stem-like cells are of particular interest because they can contribute to tumor growth and resistance to treatment.

In the study, researchers examined whether curcumin could change how these cells behave, especially their ability to multiply and survive.

What they found was exciting! In experimental human-cell and mouse models, curcumin substantially reduced populations of these aggressive cells, with reductions exceeding 80 percent.

In addition, a 2024 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition explored curcumin's potential effects on inflammatory processes and biological pathways involved in tumor growth and blood vessel formation.

Now, does this mean turmeric is the magic bullet against colon cancer? No, we're certainly not at the point where anyone can say taking turmeric will absolutely and unequivocally prevent cancer.

But these findings are pretty encouraging, and they give researchers even more reason to keep exploring what this golden spice may be capable of!

And when it comes to everyday wellness, turmeric has long been valued for its ability to support a healthy inflammatory response.

That's one reason I'm such a fan of our Optimal Turmeric Blend!

It provides 750 mg of turmeric, plus black pepper fruit extract, which helps enhance the absorption of turmeric's beneficial compounds.

And I can tell you from personal experience why I love it.

I take Optimal Turmeric Blend to help ease the inflammation and everyday wear and tear that come with my running and martial arts activities.

In fact, I credit turmeric with helping me continue training (in Muay Thai now) and doing full-contact sparring at age 64!

And I have absolutely no intention of slowing down anytime soon!

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep plays a crucial role in your body's repair and restoration processes, including maintaining a healthy gut microbiome balance.

When you consistently shortchange yourself on sleep, it can affect the balance of bacteria in your gut, contribute to inflammation and interfere with healthy immune function.

And here's something worth thinking about: Even a single night of poor sleep can affect certain aspects of your immune response. So, imagine what happens when inadequate sleep becomes a regular habit! Make sure you're aiming for seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night. (Some adults may even need a little more.)

Keep in mind that regular exercise also helps promote better sleep, so there's yet another reason to get moving!