Dietary Nonstarch Polysaccharide Intake and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: Findings from the Singapore Chinese Health Study

Incorporating plant foods high in nonstarch polysaccharides into our diet may help shield us from colorectal cancer.

This study examined whether habitual dietary intake of nonstarch polysaccharides can exert a protective effect against colorectal cancer. Out of the 61,321 cancer-free Chinese Singaporeans who volunteered dietary information for a period of 17.5 years, 2,140 of them eventually had colorectal cancer at the end of the study.

Researchers found a low incidence of colorectal cancer among passionate consumers of plant foods containing nonstarch polysaccharides. This study recommends that plant foods rich in nonstarch polysaccharides should be an essential component of every colorectal cancer protective diet.