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Health News Archive 431 - Colon Cancer
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Synbiotics Reduce Risk of Colon Cancer

Synbiotics, a combination of prebiotic and probiotic bacteria, reduce the risk of colon cancer, the most common form of cancer in the European Union, revealed researchers in March 2004. The EU-funded team said that a symbiotic treatment significantly improved several bio-markers for colon cancer risk in the first human trial to investigate the supplement's effect on colon cancer.

Cancer of the colon or rectum is the second deadliest form of cancer after lung cancer but is also considered one of the most preventable types of cancer, as there are several dietary factors that appear to play a protective role against the disease. Researchers believe that synbiotics can be more potent than their prebiotic or probiotic components alone as they both replace the beneficial bacteria in the gut and add a carbohydrate source that stimulates the bacteria to multiply, encouraging the body's own defense mechanisms to manage disease.

It has previously been shown that synbiotics added to the diet of animals can reduce the development of cancer dramatically. In this study, 80 human subjects who either had intestinal polyps (precancerous lesions) removed or had been treated for colon cancer were given placebo or synbiotic daily for 12 weeks. The synbiotic treatment consisted of 10g of RaftiloseSynergy1, made by inulin supplier Orafti, and probiotic bacteria in capsule form.

The synbiotic group showed significantly decreased damage to the cells DNA, compared with those who consumed the placebo. DNA repair was also improved. Another important result was that cell proliferation rate was reduced in the synbiotic group.

The results suggest that this synbiotic composition may provide a protective effect against colorectal cancer. However the researchers do not yet fully understand the mechanism behind such effects.

Professor Kevin Collins of University College Cork in Ireland, who presented the results at a research conference held in Paris in February 2004, predicted that the use of synbiotics could lead to a dramatic change in the morbidity and mortality pattern of colorectal cancer in the developed world. 

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