When carcinomas occur in either the colon or the rectum, they are collectively labeled as colorectal cancer. Despite the different locations of these carcinomas, the similarities in their pathophysiology and their origin in the same type of cells allow them to be labeled as one collective disease (Ballinger & Anggiansah, 2007). Colorectal cancer can develop from …show more content…
For example, a high consumption of red meat has been shown to result in an increased risk of colorectal cancer while certain types of fibres (i.e. fruit fibre) could reduce the chances of colorectal cancer. Furthermore, more recent research has linked the impact that food composition patterns on colorectal cancer to gut microbiota composition. It has been shown that microbiota play an important role in colorectal cancer etiology by influencing inflammation, DNA damage and cell death (Louis, Hold, & Flint, 2014). While some forms of colorectal cancer are inherited, most cases of colorectal cancer have shown a strong correlation with diet and lifestyle. Indeed the collective influences of gut microbiota and their metabolic products can influence protection against and predisposition to the development of colorectal …show more content…
(2005) found that the healthy large intestines of healthy adults contain microbiota dominated by anaerobic bacteria, actionbacteria, proteobacteria and verrucomicrobia. Gut microbiota are also extremely sensitive to dietary composition. For example, changes in carefully controlled diets can produce significant changes in faecal microbiota (Walker et al., 2011). A high fat, high protein and low fibre diet usually results in an increase in certain types of bacteria such as bacteriodetes and Bilophila wadsworthia while decreasing others like Firmicutes (Louis, Hold, & Flint,