Doctor shares five daily habits to lower colon cancer risk

Daily Habits

Dr Saurabh Sethi, a California-based gastroenterologist and hepatologist who trained at AIIMS, Harvard and Stanford universities, has shared five daily habits to help reduce the risk of colon cancer after treating thousands of patients. Colon cancer often progresses silently in younger adults before symptoms appear, making early detection and preventive steps essential. The first habit involves drinking coffee. Coffee contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that protect against cellular damage, with studies linking coffee consumption to a lower risk of colorectal cancer and death from all causes.

Diet and Screening

Eating calcium-rich foods like plain yoghurt, milk, or calcium-fortified items forms the second habit, as calcium binds to harmful gut compounds and stops them from irritating the colon lining. The third habit is avoiding daily processed meats. The World Health Organization classifies processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, sausages, and deli meats as Group 1 carcinogens linked to higher cancer risk, meaning people should choose minimally processed proteins instead. Adding more dietary fibre makes up the fourth habit. Foods such as beans, lentils, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds support digestion and lower colorectal cancer risk. The fifth habit is getting preventive medical screenings. Because early colon cancer shows no warning signs, average-risk adults should start screenings at age 45, or earlier if they have a family history.