Colorectal cancer and nutrition

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of death in the Western world. It is multifactorial in origin, combining genetic and environmental causes. Certain lifestyle factors, including nutrition, have been associated with a higher cancer risk. A high body mass index and a diet low in fruits, vegetables, fiber, and calcium and high in red and processed meat, with high alcohol consumption, are associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer than a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fiber, and calcium and low in red and processed meat. A cause and effect relationship is more complicated to prove. There is a paucity of intervention studies, and the interventions that are investigated are often a combination of more than one component. This report includes an up-to-date review of the evidence linking colorectal cancer and diet.