New research has revealed that regularly consuming white bread could increase the risk of dying from colon cancer by more than a third but, surprisingly, pizza could offer protection against the deadly disease.
A US trial tracking 1,625 colon cancer patients found that those who frequently ate packaged white bread, ham, bacon and sugary drinks faced a 36 per cent higher risk of cancer death compared to those who consumed minimal inflammatory foods.
Scientists, discussing the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Chicago, discovered that "dark yellow" vegetables - including sweet potatoes and carrots - could provide protective benefits. However, the more shocking pizza, wine and coffee were also classed as anti-inflammatories.
The Italian speciality was classified as such due to its cooked tomatoes, which contain high levels of the antioxidant lycopene.
The anti-inflammatory nature is dependent on the ingredients used in the pizza-making process
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The study tracked patients with colon cancer that had spread to nearby lymph glands over a three-year period. Participants completed questionnaires about their consumption of 18 food groups, divided between nine pro-inflammatory and nine anti-inflammatory categories.
Foods classified as inflammatory included processed meats like bacon, ham and sausages, sugary drinks, refined carbohydrates such as white pasta or bread, and offal.
Patients whose diets ranked in the top 20 per cent for inflammatory foods faced not only a 36 per cent higher risk of cancer death but also an 87 per cent increased risk of death from any cause compared to those in the bottom 20 per cent.
The empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP), a global tool assessing foods' inflammatory potential, was used to categorise the dietary choices.
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The protective foods identified in the research included dark yellow vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots, coffee, wine and pizza, all classified as anti-inflammatory under the dietary assessment tool.
When physical activity was factored in, those who maintained the least inflammatory diet combined with the highest exercise levels showed a 63 per cent lower risk of death.
ASCO president Julie Gralow stated that the findings suggested doctors should be prescribing healthy diet and exercise - and that the combination of the two were "synergistic".
Additional research presented at the conference found that colon cancer patients following an anti-inflammatory diet reduced their risk of disease spread or recurrence by 38 per cent.
Approximately 32,000 cases of colon cancer are diagnosed annually in the UK
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The study from Maimonides Medical Centre in New York tracked 796 patients diagnosed between 2015 and 2023. Scientists discovered that consuming ultra-processed foods increased recurrence odds nearly two and a half times.
"Ultra-processed foods increase inflammation and colon cancer risk while anti-inflammatory diets offer protective benefits," researchers said. "Dietary intervention must play a role in preventing cancer."
However, the extent of its anti-inflammatory nature is dependent on ingredients used to create the dough and passata, as well as the toppings that you choose.
A balanced diet is the best approach to secure a healthy lifestyle, including lots of fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and sources of protein like beans and chicken, Cancer Research director Dr Catherine Elliot told the Mail.
She added that it was best to dodge processed and red meats, as well as foods high in fat, sugar and salt - which rules out some highly-processed toppings like ham and pepperoni.
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