(NaturalHealth365)  Colorectal cancer remains a significant concern, impacting both men and women across the United States.  As of 2023, the statistics paint a grim picture: over 153,000 adults were diagnosed with colorectal cancer.  What’s particularly troubling is the concerning rise in advanced-stage colorectal cancer.  Between the mid-2000s and 2019, there was a notable increase from 52% to 60%.

Recognizing the significant link between inflammation and colorectal cancer, it’s essential to address gut inflammation proactively.  A healthy gut microbiome is vital for this, and recent research delved into the potential of beans as a prebiotic to support gut health.  This discovery is especially meaningful for colorectal cancer survivors aiming to prevent future inflammation and polyps.  The study’s results are striking and carry substantial importance for anyone worried about their cancer risk or with a family history of colorectal cancer.

How chronic inflammation fuels cancer development

Just as in any part of your body, inflammation plays a dual role in your colon.  While a small amount can aid in repairing damage and combatting infections, chronic inflammation has become a common issue in our modern society, largely due to our diets.

The foods we consume are often processed and lack the necessary components to support a healthy, natural gut microbiome.  Our gut bacteria, essential for stool processing and intestinal protection, thrive on prebiotic fibers found in whole plant-based sources.  Research consistently shows that diets high in ultra-processed foods foster the growth of harmful bacteria in our gut.

Chronic inflammation triggered by unhealthy gut bacteria, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, and inflammatory conditions like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis wreaks havoc on our gut lining, paving the way for cancer development.

Researchers shine the spotlight on beans, revealing their role in gut health

Over the past two decades, the significance of prebiotics in maintaining gut health has gained mainstream attention.  While probiotics have long been in the spotlight for fostering healthy gut bacteria, their effectiveness hinges on a crucial factor: the presence of prebiotics to nourish them adequately.

In this study, researchers zeroed in on beans, known for their rich prebiotic fiber content, to assess their impact on intestinal health and metabolic markers.  To delve deeper, 55 participants underwent a comprehensive dietary assessment over four weeks before the study commenced.  Initially, blood markers for colon cancer metabolites and metabolic enzymes were measured alongside stool samples to gauge gut bacteriological proliferation.

Throughout the study, participants maintained their regular diet for four weeks, after which half of them incorporated one cup of navy beans daily.  Meanwhile, the other half served as the control group.  After another four weeks, the groups switched roles, with the bean-intake group reverting to their previous diet while the control group commenced the daily bean regimen.

Here is how adding beans to your diet can boost metabolic health and gut microbiome

After 16 weeks, final samples were taken of both blood and stool from both groups.  About 87% of the participants stayed through the whole study, and the findings were very consistent with the fact that the beans improved both metabolic health markers in the blood and beneficial bacteria in the stool.

Another similar study looked at the role of beans in the diet of colon cancer survivors and also found increased levels of beneficial bacteria and decreased levels of harmful bacteria after the weeks-long study concluded.

These results are profound because beans are a very cheap, healthy source of plant protein and prebiotic fiber.  Almost every culture in the world uses beans as a staple food, but they are largely excluded from the standard American diet.

These studies indicate that adding beans to your diet can help mitigate your risk for obesity and colon cancer and improve the health of colon cancer survivors.

Elevate your diet with easy and delicious bean-based meals

Beans are relatively easy to add to your diet, and cooking at home is almost always more beneficial to both your wallet and your waistline than eating out.

Simply adding a side dish of beans and rice a few times a week creates a complete amino acid profile and is a cheap and filling way to round out your meal plan.  You will also find that there are endless dishes throughout the world that incorporate beans, from Spanish and Mexican food to Indian and African cuisine.  If you get bored of one bean staple, try a different country’s approach.

Beans are also great to add to burritos or to make a soup go further.  British cuisine even puts beans with toast and eggs for a hearty breakfast – you can really add beans any way you like!  While these studies focused on navy beans, there are plenty of studies that indicate the health benefits of black beans, cannelloni beans, canyou beans, pinto beans, and just about any other type of legume.

In the end, it does seem to be clear that beans play an important role in colon health, and you should make the effort to have them at least three times a week.

Sources for this article include:

Thelancet.com
Healthday.com
Cancer.org