(NaturalHealth365)  If you or someone you love has ever been diagnosed with colon cancer, you should know that what you put on your plate might be the difference between life and death.  A new study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has just revealed something that should shake every cancer patient to their core: the foods you eat after treatment can increase your risk of death by a staggering 87%.

And most people are unknowingly eating these cancer-feeding foods every single day.

The death diet that’s hiding in plain sight

Researchers tracked over 1,600 stage III colon cancer patients and discovered that those eating the most inflammatory foods had an 87% higher risk of dying compared to those eating anti-inflammatory diets.  We’re talking about common foods that most Americans consider normal parts of their daily routine.

Dr. Sara Char, the lead researcher, stated: “One of the most common questions that patients ask is what they should do after treatment to maximally reduce their risk of cancer recurrence and improve survival.”

The answer might be sitting in your kitchen right now – and it’s not what you think.

Stage III colon cancer patients have about an 80% five-year survival rate, but 25-35% experience cancer recurrence.  This study suggests that your food choices may be the deciding factor in determining which group you fall into.

The cancer-feeding foods destroying your survival chances

The researchers used an “empirical dietary inflammatory pattern” score to measure the inflammatory potential of different diets.  The worst offenders – the foods that literally feed cancer growth – include:

• Conventionally raised, processed meats like hot dogs, bacon, and deli meats that create chronic inflammation throughout your body.
• Refined grains, including white bread, white rice, and most cereals, spike blood sugar and fuel cancer cell growth.
• Sugar-sweetened beverages that flood your system with inflammation-causing sugars.
• Fried foods like French fries contain toxic compounds created during high-heat cooking.
• Alcohol that damages DNA and creates systemic inflammation.

These aren’t just “unhealthy” foods – they’re actively feeding cancer cells and sabotaging your body’s ability to heal and recover.

The lifesaving foods that starve cancer

On the flip side, patients who ate anti-inflammatory diets showed dramatically better survival rates.  These cancer-fighting foods include:

• Organic dark leafy greens packed with compounds that actively fight cancer growth.
• Organic tea which contain powerful antioxidants that reduce inflammation.
• Organic colorful vegetables that provide phytonutrients your immune system needs to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
• Wild fatty fish, rich in omega-3s, like salmon, reduce inflammation at the cellular level.
• Organic nuts and seeds that provide healthy fats and cancer-fighting compounds.
• Organic whole (ancient) grains, grown without chemicals like glyphosate, that feed beneficial gut bacteria and support immune function.

The Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes these anti-inflammatory foods, has been shown repeatedly to reduce cancer risk and improve survival rates.

Exercise amplifies your survival advantage

The study revealed another crucial finding: patients who combined anti-inflammatory diets with regular physical activity had the best outcomes of all.  Those who ate well and exercised regularly had a 63% lower risk of death compared to patients eating inflammatory diets with low activity levels.

You don’t need to become a marathon runner.  The researchers defined “high physical activity” as the equivalent of walking at 2-3 mph for one hour, three times per week.  That’s achievable for most cancer patients and survivors.

Your immune system is under attack

Previous research has shown that chronic inflammation increases colon cancer risk and progression.

Your daily food choices are either feeding inflammation that helps cancer thrive, or providing your immune system with the tools it needs to search and destroy cancer cells.

Dr. Edwin McDonald IV from UChicago Medicine emphasized: “People really need to focus on their pattern of eating – as opposed to eating a few particular foods – to reduce inflammation.  There’s no miracle food out there that’s going to cure people with chronic inflammation.  You need to have an anti-inflammatory lifestyle and diet.”

Take control of your cancer recovery

The research is clear: what you eat after cancer treatment directly impacts your survival chances.  While doctors focus on chemotherapy and surgery, your daily food choices might be just as important for long-term survival.

Every meal is an opportunity to either feed cancer growth or starve it.  Every bite is a choice between inflammation that helps cancer thrive or nutrients that empower your immune system to fight back.

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Sources for this article include:

Dana-farber.org
Healthday.com