Study: High-Calorie Diet May Help in Battling Colorectal Cancer

While a high-calorie diet has been linked to increased risk of developing colorectal cancer, eating more calories may actually help you live longer after a colorectal cancer diagnosis.

That's the curious finding of French researchers who reported that people with a high intake of carbohydrate, protein, and fat were 80 percent more likely to be alive five years after a colorectal cancer diagnosis than those eating the least amount of calories.

Their finding would appear to be at direct variance with other studies that have found that being overweight or obese significantly increases the risk colorectal cancer, and researchers had no ready explanation for why eating more benefits colorectal cancer patients.

The researchers theorized that overeaters who develop colorectal cancer may have a less aggressive form of the disease.

In the study reported in the journal GUT, the researchers looked at an earlier study that recorded 148 patients' eating habits during the year before their diagnosis with colorectal cancer, and tghen followed up with the patients about 10 years after their surgery.

"High energy intake, as a result of high carbohydrate, protein, and lipid intake, was strongly related to increased survival," the researchers reported. They said the positive effects of the high-calorie diet were similar for both sexes, and for both the colon and rectum.

"Larger series need to be investigated before conducting intervention studies but our findings should prompt nutritional follow up in colorectal cancer patients," the researchers concluded.

Other Sources: GUT