<p class="title">People with colon cancer who regularly eat almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts and cashews are at significantly lower risk of cancer recurrence and mortality than those who do not, a study claims. Researchers at Yale University Cancer Center in the US followed 826 participants in a clinical trial for a median of 6.5 years after they were treated with surgery and chemotherapy.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Those who regularly consumed at least two, one-ounce servings of nuts each week demonstrated a 42 per cent improvement in disease-free survival and a 57 per cent improvement in overall survival.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Further analysis of this cohort revealed that disease-free survival increased by 46 per cent among the subgroup of nut consumers who ate tree nuts rather than peanuts," said Charles S Fuchs, director of Yale Cancer Center.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tree nuts include almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and pecans, among others. In contrast, peanuts are actually in the legumes family of foods.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"These findings are in keeping with several other observational studies that indicate that a slew of healthy behaviours, including increased physical activity, keeping a healthy weight, and lower intake of sugar and sweetened beverages, improve colon cancer outcomes," said Temidayo Fadelu, a postdoctoral fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The results highlight the importance of emphasising dietary and life-style factors in colon cancer survivorship," said Fadelu, lead author of the study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Many previous studies have reported that nuts, among other health benefits, may help to reduce insulin resistance, a condition in which the body has difficulty processing the insulin hormone.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Insulin resistance leads to unhealthy levels of sugar in the blood and is often a predecessor to type 2 diabetes and related illnesses.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Earlier research among patients with colon cancer has revealed worse outcomes among those with lifestyle factors that heighten insulin resistance, such as obesity, lack of exercise, and a diet with high levels of carbohydrates that quickly raise levels of blood sugar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"These studies support the hypothesis that behaviors that make you less insulin resistant, including eating nuts, seem to improve outcomes in colon cancer," Fuchs said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"However, we do not know yet what exactly about nuts is beneficial," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nuts also might play a positive role by satisfying hunger with less intake of carbohydrates or other foods associated with poor outcomes, Fuchs noted.</p>
<p class="title">People with colon cancer who regularly eat almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts and cashews are at significantly lower risk of cancer recurrence and mortality than those who do not, a study claims. Researchers at Yale University Cancer Center in the US followed 826 participants in a clinical trial for a median of 6.5 years after they were treated with surgery and chemotherapy.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Those who regularly consumed at least two, one-ounce servings of nuts each week demonstrated a 42 per cent improvement in disease-free survival and a 57 per cent improvement in overall survival.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Further analysis of this cohort revealed that disease-free survival increased by 46 per cent among the subgroup of nut consumers who ate tree nuts rather than peanuts," said Charles S Fuchs, director of Yale Cancer Center.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tree nuts include almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and pecans, among others. In contrast, peanuts are actually in the legumes family of foods.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"These findings are in keeping with several other observational studies that indicate that a slew of healthy behaviours, including increased physical activity, keeping a healthy weight, and lower intake of sugar and sweetened beverages, improve colon cancer outcomes," said Temidayo Fadelu, a postdoctoral fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The results highlight the importance of emphasising dietary and life-style factors in colon cancer survivorship," said Fadelu, lead author of the study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Many previous studies have reported that nuts, among other health benefits, may help to reduce insulin resistance, a condition in which the body has difficulty processing the insulin hormone.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Insulin resistance leads to unhealthy levels of sugar in the blood and is often a predecessor to type 2 diabetes and related illnesses.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Earlier research among patients with colon cancer has revealed worse outcomes among those with lifestyle factors that heighten insulin resistance, such as obesity, lack of exercise, and a diet with high levels of carbohydrates that quickly raise levels of blood sugar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"These studies support the hypothesis that behaviors that make you less insulin resistant, including eating nuts, seem to improve outcomes in colon cancer," Fuchs said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"However, we do not know yet what exactly about nuts is beneficial," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nuts also might play a positive role by satisfying hunger with less intake of carbohydrates or other foods associated with poor outcomes, Fuchs noted.</p>