Dear Anxious Amanda,
Now, as we continue, I can understand why colon cancer is on the rise in the US in young people because as found by the USDA, 95 percent of Americans don’t have enough fiber in their diet. Adults should get 25 to 30 grams of fibre daily, roughly the equivalent of two to three bowls of oats or one cup of chickpeas. The problem is, most Americans consume only about 10 to 15 grams of fibre a day.
A study recently published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention showed that consuming a lot of high-energy junk foods and fizzy drinks is associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer. In the said study, the researchers found that those who consumed more high-energy snack foods – which included high-fat and high-sugar foods such as desserts, chocolates, nuts, crisps, biscuits and cakes – were more likely to have developed colorectal cancer.
Additionally, the said research also reported that drinking a lot of fruit and vegetable juice was also associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer among patients with a high body mass index. Likewise, consuming high levels of white fish that were fried and battered was also associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer.
Energy drinks concern me because as of March 2024, 32 percent of adults ages 18 to 29 in the US consume energy drinks regularly, and energy drinks are the second-most popular “dietary supplement” among adults in that age group behind multivitamins. So, I hope we here in the Philippines don’t follow what is trending in the United States.
So, it’s all in the diet. You are what you eat.
Good luck!
-Dr. Fritz
(Dr. Fritz Legarde Espedilla is an aesthetic dermatologist, surgeon and clinical sexologist. She is also trained in hypnotherapy and Medical Acupuncture. She has been in the broadcast media for more than a decade and has written a book based on her 15-year stint with her radio program, “Healthy is Sexy Secrets ni Dr. Fritz.”. For your questions, you may send them to Dear Dr. Fritz, c/o Sunstar-Davao Publishing Inc., Door 11, Ebro-Pelayo Building 1, Juan Luna St., Barangay 29-C, Davao City, or you e-mail them to dokatlaw@gmail.com. If you don’t wish your letter to be published, we regret that we cannot answer them. Thank you for your understanding.)
