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Harvard
researchers report that for people whose diets are low in
calcium, a modest increase appears to substantially reduce
the risk of some types of colon cancer.
The researchers
evaluated the diet and colon cancer history of 135,000 men
and women who took part in two large studies, and found that
those who consumed approximately 700 milligrams of calcium
daily had a 40 to 50 percent lower risk of left-side colon
cancer.
Calcium
did not appear to provide increased protection against types
of colon cancer.
The left
side of the colon includes the last segment of the large intestine.
The right side is higher up the gut and attached to the small
intestine.
The researchers also reported in the Journal of the National
Cancer Institute that consuming amounts of calcium significantly
higher than the 700 milligrams daily did not appear to further
reduce the risk of colon cancer.
The researchers
concluded that increasing calcium intake to 700 milligrams
daily "is associated with a reduced risk of distal colon
cancer."
Source:
Colorectal
Cancer Week of March 24, 2002
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