Consumption of white beans would help cleanse the intestinal microbiome and increase the chances of survival of people with a history of colorectal cancer.
- With more than 45,000 new cases per year, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men (after prostate cancer and lung cancer) and the second in women (after breast cancer). Health Insurance offers free screening between ages 50 and 74.
- The main causes of colorectal cancer are a diet rich in red meat and cold meats, low in fiber, excessive alcohol consumption, overweight or obesity, or a sedentary lifestyle.
- Researchers reveal that consuming white beans, by cleaning up the intestinal flora, helps prevent recurrence in people with a history of colorectal cancer.
“Poor diet and an imbalanced gut microbiome can negatively impact colorectal cancer prevention efforts”, especially when you have already received treatment. To avoid recurrences, it is therefore crucial to take care of your intestinal flora and, according to a new study published in the journal eBioMedicinethere is a miracle food to improve the health of the digestive tract: white beans.
Beans boost gut health in colorectal cancer survivors
To reach this conclusion, researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center from the University of Texas (United States) relied on a clinical trial carried out on 48 people over 30 years of age who suffered from obesity and showed signs of intestinal damage – i.e. a history of colorectal cancer (75% ), or symptoms detected during a colonoscopy. For eight weeks, the participants followed their usual diet with the addition of a daily cup of white beans. The researchers regularly took blood and stool samples from them to assess changes in their microbiome.
As a result, volunteers saw positive changes in their intestinal flora, associated with cancer prevention and improved treatment outcomes. “There was an improvement in participants’ gut health, marked by an increase in beneficial bacteria (Faecalibacterium, Eubacterium and Bifidobacterium), which repelled the decreasing harmful bacteria”explains Carrie Daniel-MacDougall, professor of epidemiology and lead author of the study, in a communicated.
White beans boost beneficial bacteria in the microbiome
“It is rare to observe a change in the microbiome caused by dietary intervention alone, and this study highlights the therapeutic role of a prebiotic-rich food […] White beans are full of fiber, amino acids and other nutrients that may help the beneficial bacteria in your colon thrive, support immune health and regulate inflammation.” But it is essential to make it a dietary habit because, “Once participants stopped eating the beans, the positive effects quickly faded.”
