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Voeding tegen darmkanker*
Twee studies laten het belang zien van gezonde voeding tegen en als behandeling bij darmkanker en andere darmziektes. Uit de eerste studie blijkt dat darmen gezond zijn of worden als het proces van autofagie, het proces waarbij een cel zichzelf en beschadigde delen kan opruimen, goed verloopt. Voeding zoals granaatappel, blauwe druiven, peren, paddestoelen, bonen en peulen en soja bevatten van nature ingrediënten die autofagie bevorderen en daardoor ontstekingen in de darmen tegengaan. Eerdere studies hebben al laten zien dat voeding rijk aan vezels en volkoren granen darmkanker kan voorkomen. In de tweede studie werd nu gekeken of bepaalde voeding ook bij een beginnende darmkanker goed werk kan doen. 1.575 deelnemers met darmkanker werden 8 jaar gevolgd. Voeding met veel voedingsvezels bleek de kans om dood te gaan aan darmkanker duidelijk te verminderen. Dagelijks iedere 5 gram vezels extra in de voeding gaf 22% minder kans om dood te gaan aan darmkanker. Vezels van volkoren granen deden het nog beter: iedere 5 gram vezels meer zorgde voor 33% minder kans.
De studies ¹ ². (December 2017)

Colon cancer breakthrough could lead to prevention -- and the foods that can help
Colon cancer, Crohn's, and other diseases of the gut could be better treated -- or even prevented - thanks to a new link between inflammation and a common cellular process, established by the University of Warwick
Colon cancer, Crohn's, and other diseases of the gut could be better treated -- or even prevented -- thanks to a new link between inflammation and a common cellular process, established by the University of Warwick.
Led by Dr Ioannis Nezis at Warwick's School of Life Sciences, new research demonstrates that autophagy -- an essential process whereby cells break down and recycle harmful or damaged elements within themselves to keep our bodies healthy -- causes tissue inflammation when dysfunctional, which in turn leaves us susceptible to harmful diseases, particularly in the gut.
Understanding this link could lead to more effective treatments for gut diseases -- such as colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis -- giving healthcare professionals the ability to target the root cause of these diseases, by regulating and controlling autophagy.
Foods such as pomegranates, red grapes, pears, mushrooms, lentils, soybeans and green peas contain natural compounds which can activate autophagy, helping to prevent inflammation and gut diseases.
In a new paper published in Nature Communications, Dr Nezis and colleagues have identified -- for the first time -- a protein which is regulated by autophagy. Called Kenny, the protein contains a motif of amino acids that causes itself to be broken down by autophagy. When autophagy is dysfunctional, Kenny accumulates and causes inflammation.
The researchers identified this phenomenon in fruit flies, by turning Kenny fluorescent -- so it would be visible -- and observing at a microscopic level that the protein was present in the cell where autophagy was occurring.
They also noted that dysfunctional autophagy causes serious inflammation in fruit flies -- particularly in the gut -- which makes tissue inflamed, causing disease, and making the lifespan of a fruit fly half that of other flies. To prevent serious diseases of the gut caused by inflammation, Dr Nezis and his colleagues state that it is necessary to find ways to control and regulate autophagy.
Humans are in even more danger from the link between autophagy, inflammation, and a dysfunctional or diseased gut -- because our bodies lack the regular motif of amino acids which Kenny uses in fruit flies, making its breakdown by autophagy difficult to control or regulate.
Dr Ioannis Nezis, the lead author of the research, commented: "Understanding the molecular mechanisms of selective autophagy and inflammation will help to use interventions to activate the autophagic pathway to prevent inflammation and promote healthy well-being during the life course.
"Natural compounds contained in fruits and vegetables like pomegranates, red grapes, pears, mushrooms, lentils, soybeans and green peas have been shown to activate autophagy, therefore inclusion of the above in our diet would help to prevent inflammation and alleviate the symptoms of gut diseases."
The paper, 'Kenny mediates selective autophagic degradation of the IKK complex to control innate immune responses', will be published in Nature Communications.
It is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
Radu Tusco, Anne-Claire Jacomin, Ashish Jain, Bridget S. Penman, Kenneth Bowitz Larsen, Terje Johansen, Ioannis P. Nezis. Kenny mediates selective autophagic degradation of the IKK complex to control innate immune responses. Nature Communications, 2017; 8 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01287-9 

Colorectal cancer: Increasing fiber intake may lower death risk
Increasing fiber intake may help to improve survival for patients in the early stages of colorectal cancer. This is the conclusion of a new study recently published in JAMA Oncology.
Colorectal cancer is a cancer that begins in the colon or rectum, and it is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in the United States.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), around 95,520 new cases of colon cancer and 39,910 cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, and more than 50,000 people are expected to die from the disease.
A wealth of research has suggested that a diet rich in fiber and whole grains may protect against the development of colorectal cancer, but how does high fiber consumption affect those who have already been diagnosed with the disease?
This is what Dr. Andrew Chan — of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA — and colleagues sought to find out with their new research.
Colorectal cancer and fiber intake
The study included the data of 1,575 individuals who were part of either the Nurses' Health Study or the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.
All subjects had been diagnosed with stage 1, 2, or 3 colorectal cancer. These are non-metastatic stages, wherein the cancer has not spread to distant sites.
As part of their studies, the participants regularly completed food frequency questionnaires. The team used information from these questionnaires to calculate the subjects' total fiber intake and whole grain consumption, as well as their intake of fiber from individual food sources.
Participants were followed for an average of 8 years after diagnosis, during which time a total of 773 deaths occurred. Of these deaths, 174 were directly related to colorectal cancer.
The researchers found that colorectal cancer patients who had a high total fiber intake had a lower risk of death than those with a low total fiber intake.
Each 5-gram increase in fiber per day was associated with a 22 percent reduction in colorectal cancer-specific mortality and a 14 percent reduction in all-cause mortality, the team reports.
The team also found that every 20-gram increase in whole grain consumption per day was linked with a 28 percent decrease in colorectal cancer death, while the risk of all-cause mortality was reduced by 12 percent.
Cereal fiber most beneficial
On looking at the sources of fiber, the researchers found that cereal fiber posed the greatest benefit; every 5-gram daily increase in cereal fiber was linked to a 33 percent reduction in colorectal cancer death and a 22 percent reduction in all-cause mortality.
A 17 percent reduction in all-cause mortality was identified with every 5-gram daily increase in vegetable fiber, but this type of fiber appeared to have no impact on colorectal cancer-specific mortality.
Fruit fiber was found to have no influence on colorectal cancer death or all-cause mortality.
Dr. Chan and team caution that their study is observational, so it cannot prove cause and effect. There are also a number of limitations to consider — for example, the intake of fiber and whole grains among participants was self-reported, thereby leaving room for error.
"Our findings," write the authors, "need to be validated by further studies, including possible clinical trials."
Still, the researchers are confident that an increase in fiber intake could benefit patients in the non-metastatic stages of colorectal cancer. The team concludes:
"Higher intake of fiber and whole grains after CRC [colorectal cancer] diagnosis is associated with a lower rate of death from that disease and other causes. Our findings provide support for the nutritional recommendations of maintaining sufficient fiber intake among CRC survivors."