Starchy foods may protect against elevated risk of cancer growth

 Starchy foods may protect against elevated risk of cancer  growth

Researchers have found that people who are genetically predisposed to certain cancers can cut their risk of developing cancer in half by adding resistant starch foods to their diet.

One study showed that resistant starch foods have a significant effect on upper gastrointestinal cancers such as gastric, biliary tract, pancreatic and small bowel cancers. Resistant starch is a source of carbohydrates that does not break down into sugar and is not absorbed by our small intestine.

 It helps our colon to ferment and is beneficial for the gut. Additionally, this type of starch provides many health benefits and is low in calories.

Peas, beans and oats naturally contain resistant starch. A study was conducted, in which nearly 1,000 people participated. Half of the participants in the study received 30 grams of resistant starch daily. 

The other half were given a drug powder that had no therapeutic effect for 2-4 years. This study involved a genetic condition called Lynch syndrome. It is a hereditary cancer syndrome that increases the risk of developing colon, endometrial and bowel cancers.

Although there was no difference in the incidence of colon cancer in the two groups during the study, fewer people in the resistant starch group developed cancer symptoms. Commenting on the study, John Mathers, the lead author of the study, said resistant starch works like a fibre in our digestive system.

We think resistant starch can reduce cancer growth by changing the bacterial metabolism of bile acids and reducing the types of bile acids that damage our DNA and cause cancer.

Diet is the most important factor in preventing and treating cancer. PK Julka, former professor of radiotherapy at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said that certain diets can be more supportive of existing treatment for cancer and help fight cancer cells more effectively.

People with Lynch syndrome are prone to conditions like ulcerative colitis that can result in starch deficiencies. He says nutrition or diet therapy is one of the main 5 steps in cancer treatment.

Renowned Indian-American cancer physician and researcher Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee says that diet plays an important role in slowing cancer growth. He added that one of his areas of research is combining diet with drugs to treat cancer.