Study: Women Who Drink a Lot of Juice May Cut Risk of Colon Polyps

University of Minnesota researchers report that women who drink a lot of juice may have a significantly lower risk of developing the polyps that can eventually develop into colon cancer.

However, they report that drinking juice does not appear to lower risk for men, and that consuming higher levels of fruits, vegetables, total fruits and vegetables, or green leafy vegetables does not appear to reduce the risk of intestinal polyps for either sex.

The result of their study of more than 1,700 men and women was somewhat surprising since a number of studies have suggested that high vegetable intakes reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

The researchers, reporting in the American Journal of Epidemiology, said that "because elevated vegetable consumption has been associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer, vegetables may have a stronger role in preventing the progression" of polyps to cancer rather than in preventing the initial appearance of polyps.

Other Sources: American Journal of Epidemiology