Can Chicken Check Colorectal Cancer?

Over the years we’ve been led to believe that plenty of fiber in the diet will prevent, or reduce the risk of, colorectal cancer. That seems to have been wrong, according to a recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. (They found that fiber intake was only associated with a reduced risk when it was considered in combination with other dietary risk factors [e.g. fruit and vegetables]; when adjustments were made for these, the association disappeared, and fiber had no benefit).

Instead of fiber, you should now consider chicken. While eating processed meats such as hot dogs, ham, bacon, and sausage, was found to be a risk factor, consumption of poultry (including chicken) reduced the incidence of colorectal cancer in a large study (1,500 patients). The authors wonder if this might be due to the small amounts of selenium and calcium contained in poultry. Anyway, switch, if you can, from bacon and sausages to chicken breast (skinned, of course), and you’ll live for ever.