Author:

Abstract:

Diet and lifestyle have a great impact on our overall health, including the development of cancer. Despite the fact that most of the data come from epidemiological studies, wherein cause and consequence are sometimes difficult to unravel, there are some clear links between diet and colon cancer. A diet low in fibres, calcium and vitamin D on the one hand and rich in red/processed meat and fat on the other hand is associated with a higher incidence of colon cancer. Not only diet is related to carcinogenesis, also obesity and/or lack of physical activity increase the risk of cancer. While the role of dietary supplements is still questionable, the preventive role of acetylsalicylic acid is clear, although this effect is also most pronounced in high-risk patients. In recent years, there has been more and more interest in the gut microbiome. Every day, the gut bacteria metabolize dietary constituents through which toxic metabolites are formed, influencing the underlying intestinal cells in turn. The exact correlation between diet, gut microbiome and colon cancer has been formulated in several hypotheses, but additional research is needed before the gut microbiome will become relevant to clinical practice.