There’s a small study that suggests the type of diet you choose to help you lose weight, a worthy goal to be sure, might also have an impact on colon health. The research included 17 men classified as obese who the team discovered had colon changes that may, given time, contribute to dangerous colon cancer. We do know that diet plays a role in this disease; eating high fat, low fiber foods and diets high in protein are often blamed for increasing your risk.

When it comes to losing weight and eating healthy, cancer risk is probably the farthest thing from your mind. This research gives you something to think about when it comes to choosing the right eating plan for dropping those extra pounds.

It’s important to understand that this research examined only short time shifts in some compounds that are produced during metabolism. This isn’t the same thing as disease risk. The research doesn’t show conclusively that high protein/low carbohydrate diets increase the risk of diseases of the colon, but it’s certainly possible.

To be considered a high protein/low carb diet, you should be getting from 30% to 50% of your daily calories from protein. This is thought to put the body into a different metabolic state (ketosis) where you burn your own fat for fuel. Your body makes a switch from a carbohydrate-burning engine to a fat burning one. Some of the risks that come with this type of diet include kidney failure, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and more. Read the rest of this entry »