Mineral Important for Colon Health

According to a recently published study, there is a potential relationship between intake of a particular mineral and the risk of developing colon or rectal cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, the risk of a person having colorectal cancer in their lifetime is approximately 1 in 19, and it is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men and women.

In this new study, researchers evaluated intake of magnesium in 40,830 Japanese men and 46,287 Japanese women between 45 and 74 years of age using a food-frequency questionnaire. The subjects were then followed for approximately 8 years to determine the incidence of colon or rectal cancer in this population.

The data indicated that there were a total of 689 colorectal cases in men and 440 colorectal cancer cases in women in the study group. The results showed that the male subjects with the highest magnesium intake had a 35 percent decreased risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to the subjects with the lowest magnesium intake. More specifically, the study showed that compared to the subjects with the lowest magnesium intake, the male subjects with the highest magnesium intake had a 52 percent decreased risk of colon cancer and a 3 percent reduction in rectal cancer risk. There was no association found between magnesium intake and colorectal cancer risk in women.

The researchers concluded, “Higher dietary intake of magnesium may decrease the risk of colorectal cancer in Japanese men.”

Reference:

Ma E, Sasazuki S, Inoue M, Iwasaki M, Sawada N, Takachi R, Tsugane S; for the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study Group. High Dietary Intake of Magnesium May Decrease Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Japanese Men. J Nutr. 2010 Feb 17. Published Online Ahead of Print.