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Stop letting your kids eat and drink so much junk

My personal view is that the processed foods are the main culprits.

There so many perspectives out there with some support form comprehensive studies for different diets. There is a whole new carnivore movement saying that animals protected themsevles with fangs and claws..but plants protect themselves via toxins..hence the notion that 'plants are trying to kill us'. I think a balance between plant food and animal products is probably optimal.

There's a school of thought that said that our ancestors largely survived on a carnivore diet. There are even arguments that the fear of LDL cholesterol is unfounded and it is not a good marker of heart health. There are studies that say that there is no real link between red meat and colorectal cancer. Nuff people have allergies to specific plant based compounds ..oxalates, glycosides etc.

Whether, you doing keto, intermittent fasting, Mediterranean, plant based, carnivore or whatever..the common thread of the primary thing to cut back on 'sugar'. So many unknowns and conflicting stuff out there around what it the optimal human diet especially you have to consider that we are made differently and what some folks enjoy will kill others or make them really sick.

In reply to Cheeks

Every morsel of processed food put in the mouth has a negative effect on the body!

In reply to Cheeks
Processed food is the worst

In reply to Cheeks

I see you been checking out Dr Eades and the Carnivore diet

In reply to Commie

Don't know him.. but nuff other guys out there like Ken Berry...along with the Keto set like Eckberg and Berg etc lol.

In reply to Commie
Nice to see you man

In reply to Chrissy
Too much refined food

In reply to Chrissy

The previous standard of beginning colo-rectal screening at age 50 should be put to bed.
One should only use that for people deemed to be at LOW RISK.
A thorough risk assessment should be undertaken to take into account diet,BMI and Family History. The problem is that few people are fully aware of their family history.
An interesting thing about family history is that if you have a first degree relative who developed colo-rectal cancer at age 44,then you should start your screening at age 39.
The use of stool tests are very unreliable with a high percentage of both false positive and false negative making it worse than useless.
Colonoscopy done by a gastroenterologist who has done a few is the best way to go and should be done every 7 years in the absence of any symptoms or signs that can be reasonably attributed to colo-rectal cancer.
Certain conditions significantly increase one's risk of developing colo-rectal cancer.

In reply to Dukes

Interesting perspective. I was told by another doctor recently that the thinking nowadays is that 2 successive negative FIT tests are as 'good' as a colonoscopy. Even heard that the colonoscopy because of some risks associated with doing should only be done when concern is present from other markers.

Goes back to my point about so many different perspectives. Quite confusing for the layman.

Carnivore diet and Cancer

In reply to Dukes
You're the doctor so we'd better listen

In reply to Cheeks

WOW

Before I retired I would not respond to the above but now I am retired I can say exactly what I think.

My good friend who incidentally is a Italian American who got his Medical degree from Grenada and did his residency and GI Fellowship in New Jersey has done over 4,000 colonoscopies and has had significant complications from it in less than 10 would be apoplectic if he heard that nonsense.

I vehemently DISAGREE with that doctor would be my most diplomatic response.

If that doctor could produce a peer reviewed article in a reputable Medical Journal proving what I highlighted I would not only eat my hat but I would say that Kallis is superior to Sobers

I suppose the saying Doctors differ and patients die is APT.

In reply to Dukes

In all fairness I may have not communicated quite correctly. The guy who raised concerns about colonoscopies is this this guy. Not really sure what is his claim to fame though.

The part about two successive negative FIT tests is what came from an actual doctor.

In reply to Commie

The carnivore diet is a growing movement.

I prefer a more balanced approach. Low carb veggies and grass fed animal protein as far as I get it.

In reply to Cheeks

https://www.gutsense.org/author/about-konstantin-monastyrsky.html



It took me 4 minutes to find out who this guy is!!!!!!

PHEW

In reply to Cheeks

You do realize that the Junior Senator from Kentucky Rand Paul is also an actual doctor.

In reply to Commie

Do doctors recommend carnivore diet?
The carnivore diet is just another fad diet that isn't sustainable over time and can lead to several chronic illnesses such as high cholesterol and heart disease.” Hunnes agrees that the carnivore diet is “not a healthy diet and our bodies did not evolve to life off meat."

In reply to Cheeks

Elimination diets tend to not be sustainable.

In reply to XDFIX

Considering the conventional medical industry presides over a growing obese and unhealthy population especially in the US, I equally doubt their assessment of a healthy diet.

In reply to Commie

I had to go to the dictionary to check out what presides meant

Definition of preside over. 1 : to be in charge of something (such as a meeting or organization) The vice president presided over the meeting. The Chief Justice presides over the Supreme Court. He has presided over the company for 15 years. 2 : to be in charge of a country,..

I did not realize that " The CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL INDUSTRY." were in charge of the population and thus their obesity and unhealthiness were a direct result of the incompetence of the CONVENTIONAL MEDICAL INDUSTRY.

Where IGNORANCE IS BLISS TIS FOLLY TO BE WISE.

In reply to Dukes
Big Pharma has a big say in the medical industry

In reply to Chrissy

Individuals have a responsibility to themselves and those dependent on them to lead as healthy a life as possible.That means making smart decisions about how they live, what they eat, whether they smoked ,did drugs,drink alcohol to excess etc etc.

In reply to Dukes

I read his spiel too...but I am not about to shoot the messenger. I think he makes a good point about too much fiber in particular..based on personal experience.

In reply to Commie

Not so sure about that..some keto fanatics out there going on decades.

In reply to Dukes

Of course they preside over the populations health.

The Western population, in particular the US, is highly prescribed and medicated and as standard listen to what their doctors say. It is why people take their meds as instructed, eat particular diets 'as instructed', and follow doctors advice.

personal responsibility sounds great until you realise most low income Americans eat what they can afford and even the so called fresh fruit and vegetables in their income bracket is heavily compromised by chemicals and the meat highly processed.

The Caribbean is no better in most respects. A post slavery culture built around consuming sugar 'for energy' and drinking lots of alcohol ' more sugar' has produced the highest rates of diabetes per capita in the world and more people on metformin than ever.

Not to mention the post slavery traditional hypertension and the plethora of medications for that malady.

Its unfortunate but doctors do 'preside' over the health of most. Like it or not.

In reply to Commie
True words

In reply to Commie

I disagree with the above.
Our politicians have failed us in the Caribbean.Whilst it is true that in the US,the cheapest food is unhealthy foodie is amazing that in the Caribbean the healthiest food is actually cheaper than the American fast food that our people are hooked on.The idea of subsistence farming for poor people living in urban areas was touted by none other than the much maligned Forbes Burnham way back in the late 60's as part of his strategy to reduce the cost of food imports and develop a healthy nation. The reality is that Burnham's own supporters were resistant to that idea and wanted the foreign imports.Fast forward to today and there are a plethora of American fast food chains all over Guyana and the Caribbean and we are proud of it as if it signifies some sort of progress.
Many years ago my group sponsored a Nutrition and Disease Symposium in Georgetown and I pleaded with the then Minister of Health to go on a public Service Announcement campaign to get people to eat local foods particularly fruits and vegetables to counter the nauseating advertisements by the owners of American fast food chains which were flooding the TV and radio but after agreeing with me, nothing was done.

The problem in America is that there are literally thousands of snake-oil salesmen on the Internet selling all kinds of miracle cures and astonishingly so-called intelligent people fall for them every day.The correct information is there but that information is drowned out by charlatans and con artistes.The role of Big Pharma is also a black mark against the US but it can be countered by carefully listening to official Federal Government Information Services.

The level of training of doctors in the field of nutrition is woefully lacking and their ignorance is astounding.Too many doctors prescribe medications unsuitable for their patients.Part of the problem is the previously uncontrolled access that Pharmaceutical Representatives had to Doctors and the free lunches, sports tickets and a myriad of other perks that they gave to doctors, particularly the junior docs.

The question I will ask is how many 'young' people go for their annual checkups each year? The key to everything is getting those routine 'look sees'. It is a fact that folks in the Caribbean dont go see a doctor unless they have a real big problem. Spotting any disease early improves ones chances of recovery by a huge percentage, especially with curable illnesses. I lost 2 friends in Lucia -both contracted hepatitis and both thought they were fit as ever since they did not fell ill prior to their last 6 months.

In reply to Dukes

True Dukes.

you dont know how i hate to see those joints desecrating our landscape

on Sundays, which was the day to prepare and get a good cooked meal, people in Bim now lining up to buy nasty food at Kentucky and Chefette and think they have arrived.

then they drop down dead and people wondering if it is the water

In reply to Dukes

There are times I dont think you have a pulse of the reality of life in the Caribbean, and maybe I am even being unfair in thinking that you do. Yet you dont disagree with me fundamentally, you just frame it ina different way.

There are two facets that play into health in the Caribbean.

Capability

Since the WTO came into being in the 90's, there was a clear shift from domestic consumption into importing food, processed and otherwise which became dramatically more economical to purchase and eat especially for low income families. This is why in all of the islands the merchant class, the moneyed class are the ones who import food and own supermarkets in the main. So this myth that Caribbean people can easily and economically eat healthy by picking from trees is technically true, but practically not. Across the region bread and fillings and sweet drinks are the staple diet of the poor. Its cost effective and pragmatic even though nutritionally empty.

Awareness

The point I made before was that our diets were always relatively bad, but our old folk worked incredibly hard, usually manually in the main, except if you were from the civil servant class so it mitigated against diets full of sugar and salted meat like pigs snout and salted fish. Therefore there has never really been an awareness of dietary health. Men drank like fish, women cooked with plenty salt and sugared up their juice and the good things we passed down we did through tradition and not some examination of the nutritional benefits.

And I stand by the commentary once again. Most Western people follow doctors orders, so yes they preside over the decision making of most people. Charlatans abound but mostly, doctors are mainly part of a huge industry where medicating, prescribing and encouraging procedures on the patient is more important than guiding them to healthier decisions.

Peace out.

PS: Barbados is one of the worst for diets and has always been. The people national dish is macaroni and cheese and they make mauby so sweet you cant remember why mauby was good for you in the end. Mac and cheese vs KFC ? same ting.

In reply to Chrissy

Unless you're eating RAW food, ALL food is processed!

In reply to Dukes
You can disagree all you want - the high carbs sugar and saltfish diet during enslavement has a lot to do with health issues in this region and there is data to back it up.

In reply to Larr Pullo

Move and gweh with your silly BS

In reply to Chrissy

I am confused.Do you mean that because it was fed to us during enslavement which ended in the 1830's it is responsible for our health issues in 2023?

In reply to Dukes

Yes humans evolve to pass on genes affected by diet which if not arrested over time manifest continuously. For instance Africans from whom we came do not suffer from diabetes or HBP like we do in the region. Not even close.

Beckles has a YouTube on this. Probably as result of a study conducted by UWI. Perhaps why Chrissy is adamant about the matter

In reply to Commie

Barbados national dish is not macaroni and cheese (perhaps popular but not national) and Bim has the most people (women) reaching a 100 years in the region

In reply to sudden
My mon died at 102, another lady 2 houses away died at 104 years old.
Both these women worked in the fields, as I got older I tried getting my mom away from fatty foods.
That woman hated Chicken breast.
My dad died at 58 years, he drank daily and was a smoker, had a number of strokes.

In reply to openning

Perhaps what she did was right for her

In reply to Dukes
Medical history is hereditary

Have a read of Sweetness in the Blood Race, Risk, and Type 2 Diabetes

If you think Caribbean politicians have a say in all these fast food companies bombarding our shores, think long and hard about allyuh support for the neo-liberal globalization model.

In reply to Chrissy

Agreed. never should they have been allowed on our shores. A dreadful sight to behold.

In reply to sudden

Barbados also is in the top 2 of diabetes per capita in the world.

Those women arent the mean (they are outliers) and mac and cheese is the most popular staple in barbados.

In reply to Commie

I know we are up there for HBP and diabetes. But I will take your word that we are in the top 2 in the world

No, Mac and cheese is not. Maybe years ago but not so much now.

And no they are a lot of long livers in Bim.

What about the rest of the region for comparison?

Outliers? almost 10 a year? I will take that if you please

How long that will continue is anyone’s guess as the old timers die out the fast fooders will not last long

In reply to sudden

Correction. top 2 in Americas from a few years ago.

As for the centenarian thing, Dominica has more per capita than Barbados and overall we are no healthier.

These are distractions from a real problem with overall health, including HBP, diabetes, and NCDs in general combined with low birth rates and constant migration suggest we have a looming demographic crisis all over the region.

Thats why more than any region in the world we have to be immigrant friendly especially those who can 'breed'.

In reply to Commie

The fastest growing young population in the world is sub Sahara Africa, I think

Why you think MAM courting them?

That is from whence they will come.

What MAM should do is bring over 5k Ethiopian women and let them loose in Bim

[b]In reply to Commie[/b chicken and chips, fish and chips are more popular than mac and cheese or even pudding and souce on the weekends

In reply to sudden

The way things going they need to import men more than women and make sure they screen them for the right breeding tendencies.

In reply to Commie

what’s the right breeding tendencies?

In reply to Chrissy

As if cancer in children is not enough , there's been a worldwide explosion in cancer and
various types of cardiac insufficiency across the board.

Diet and lifestyle has always been a concern especially with life becoming more sedentary with " civilization"
Our forefathers ate humongous amount of salt products/sugar lace beverages/oil infested salt fish, smoke herring etc...but
there were few and far cases of chronic maladies back then.

In my village growing up back in the day, when someone got a stroke, it was a rare and solemn occasion with villagers all commiserating.

I was about 8 or 9 years old when my neighbor across the road got throat cancer. Cancer was such a rare thing that though she knew the devil had
touched her , she became an instant celebrity, enjoying the attention. People came from up the road , down the road, everywhere to see her and feel the lump in her neck.

I sat in my gallery as a child and observed the going on over the road, looking at her feeling well pleases with the celebrity status and attention.

Poor diet, eating habits ( late at night), sedentary lifestyle, chemical poisoning of the air/environment and body.

All serious contributing factors...but .....there's also ah 800 lb or more gorilla stomping around the town that will not be belled for obvious reasons.

No scientific analysis , discussion allowed or tolerated.

" the emperor indeed has no clothes"

In my opinion Western medicine has become too rote and focused on getting patients in and out of doctors offices as quickly possible. It has become clear to me also that the average doctor does not focus enough on proper nutrition. Too much focus on pills to treat symptoms.

There is lots of developing research that negates traditional focus on total cholesterol and LDL for example ..that many doctors who are not staying abreast with re what true markers of heart health should be.

Lastly...the demonization of dietary fats has led to ascendancy of the real issue creating tons of health issues for people ie too much sugar and carbs.

That is partly why our ancestors who cooked with lots of lard and real butter and eggs from chickens in their backyards lived such long and healthy lives. The non-sedentary lifestyle played its part too.

I had some recent gastro-intestinal issues and of course the standard aka rote care for reflux symptoms and nausea is to load me up on antacids, PPIs and eventually H2 blockers for hyperacidity. I was feeling worse..so started to 'do my own research' by checking out functional medicine sites..and I learned of hypochlohydria..which is low stomach acid which presents symptoms similar to high stomach acid....and I therefore had do explore ways to 'acidify' my stomach...but not before I confirmed via upper GI endoscopy that I didn't have an ulcer...that course of action + avoiding plant fiber for almost two months made me feel a lot better.

Just sayin.

In reply to Cheeks

You watching that quack Dr Berg?

In reply to sudden

I watch lots of people. Dr Berg has his challenges but he has also helped lots of people. He is a chiropractor though..and I have my struggles with them too.

What I do know is that MANY people who have been put on PPIs and H2 blockers end up stuck on them for most of their lives.

I had a jarring experience with my son at the airport in Miami last year..he had a general tonic clonic seizure at the gate minutes before boarding a flight. Of course that resulted in an ambulance ride to a children's hospital in Miami..and two night stay..a frantic wife and a traumatized younger sister... and an epilepsy diagnosis.

He has had two more since then ..while he is on meds for epilepsy. My wife and I noticed that all three seizures followed consumption of cheese heavy meals. Why did we make that connection?? Well a food allergy blood test from when he was younger, showed that he had allergic reactions to cow's milk protein. We have seen two neurologists since making that anecdotal connection ..and we were faced with dismissiveness...ie food allergies do not cause epileptic seizures punto finale. Well...they have not convinced me and I kept searching and scouring the internet for peer reviewed papers ..and lo and behold ..tons of research about allergies .and blood brain barrier crossings...not to mention tons of anecdotes from parents who had our experience.

So..we made out own decision to remove dairy from his diet ..and so far so good. Not exactly a double blind trial ..but we do what we can. I was able to buy research from the BMJ that made the connection between CMA (Cow's Milk Allergy) and seizures though..and shared with acouple doctor friends of mine.

I still believe in respecting the profession and I am not silly enough to play doctor on my own...but..all professionals are not created equal..not just doctors.

Sometimes..somebody who is willing to put in the effort to continuously learn and grow their craft has more value than those who are so 'successful' and busy that they have no time for growth.

In reply to Cheeks

Only certain Africans have evolved to drink the milk of another mammal and we were not part of that group.

Most of our issues are in what we eat which for the most part is chemicaled and not fit for human consumption

In reply to Cheeks

Western Medicine is not what you mean.You should say Medicine in the USA,since in the UK it is quite different.I am speaking at least about UK Medicine twenty odd years ago.
What has taken place in the US is a rapid shift to a corporate take over of medicine where doctors are no longer independent contractors but are employees of large hospital corporations and are forced to see a large amount of patients daily in order to meet certain financial goals.
When I trained in the UK,medical students had 4 full years of CLINICAL TRAINING,whereas in the US they have about 2 and one half years.
After becoming an MD in the UK you have to spend at least a further 4 years training as an Internist before you could set up your office as opposed to three years in the US.

Your observation about doctors not focusing enough on proper nutrition and their tendency to treat everything with pills for symptoms is correct and is due to time constraints put on them to get patients out in a set time.It also requires independent study and thought on the part of the doctor and many will say that they do not have the time.I know many very good doctors but like everything else there are many bad ones.
At the end of the day being a good doctor is much harder than it seems and many people in this profession do not have what it takes to be a good doctor.
Sadly that is my conclusion having been in the profession for more than 40 years.

In reply to Dukes

spot on Dukes.

it remains so largely but the UK is slowly turning into the USA

In reply to Dukes

My own unlearned perspective matches what you've just shared about British vs US care. Point taken.

In reply to sudden

Indeed.

In reply to johndom90
Excellent post - very interesting

In reply to sudden

That does not surprise me one bit.

Nice discussion. But just like a satisfying discussion on exercise the words could get in the way of the solution.

The solution to colorectal cancer is well known. It is not colonoscopy. It is what poor people in India, Central America, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka do every day with obvious health benefits.

1. Stop eating meat.

2. Reduce or eliminate dairy products and packaged food.

3. Eat beans and peas every day.

4. Eat okras regularly.

5. Get regular exercise.

In reply to Dukes

no number of publications in top tier journals ...

In reply to doosra

CONTEXT!!!!!!!!!!!

In reply to Headley

Certainly doing those things would reduce the prevalence of cold-rectal cancer.

BBQ'ing on the grill especially things like sausages and bacon where it is sightly burnt.

One can only suggest these things so as not to restrict people's freedom to cause their own premature demise.

In reply to Dukes

For many young Americans and well off Caribbean youth pizza, soda, subs, hotdogs, KFC chicken, hamburgers and fries are the main items in their diet.

It certainly seems they have grasped the freedom to cause their own (painful) premature demise.

In reply to Chrissy

I have noticed recently that when I see an obese woman in a public place she usually has a snack (usually chips, cheese trix, donuts or similar) close at hand. At first I thought it was coincidence but now the need for constant snacking is clear.

In reply to Headley
It's crazy - I mostly snack on nuts, chick peas or fruit and sometimes on plantain or breadfruit chips fried in coconut oil.
Haven't had even a slice of pizza in at least 20 years - haven't eaten red meat or pig since 1979 and always loved veggies. If I drink three sodas in a year that's plenty.
I love fresh home-made juices/drinks/ I do buy my sistren's ginger beer which I add to most drinks.

In reply to Chrissy

You do know that there is a RAW food movement. And i'm the silly one...

In reply to Larr Pullo
I do know that

I've practiced intermittent fasting for a number of years, originally in a -successful- attempt to lose my stubborn belly fat.

One of the MANY benefits of intermittent fasting that I came across was its association with a lower risk of colon cancer.

This is in addition to healthy weight loss, improved metabolic health wrt to insulin sensitivity, better brain function, reduced inflammation AND a longer lifespan. In addition to that I can have full hearty meals whenver I feel like it, which is often. people watching me and saying how u could eat all that food and stay slim?? It must be genetic!! no, its intermittent fasting

In reply to VIX

Do you eat meat?

Are peas and beans a significant part of your diet?

Do you eat okras?

How frequent is your intermittent fasting?

I have a friend with colon cancer. Unfortunately his answers to the above questions are all positive for encouraging colon cancer.

In reply to Chrissy

Eating sensibly requires a little discipline and some planning . Unfortunately that is too much for many people.

The death of a brother of a popular Caribbean PM from complications which were related to colonoscopy has also raised awareness for all the wrong reasons.

Moderation and portion control as well as an occasional indulgence in adult beverages have kept in good shape!
Doesn’t get any simpler than that.
So far, no health issues nor any medication.

In reply to Headley

Yes

Very much so, its a mainstay in TT diets.

only when its part of other dishes- callaloo, coocoo etc, not by itself.

Daily for the most part. I have one or two meals a day. Been doing so for over 10 years. Between meals, I consume no calories. Only water. Coffe/tea is unsweetened, uncreamed.

In reply to VIX

If you are eating 1 to 2 meals per day that is serious fasting and serious discipline. I am very familiar with the Trini diet having lived in both Trinidad and Tobago for a total of 13 years and eating my way from St. Augustine to Mayaro, Caripachima, Point and Lambeau Village.

The Trini diet is the most varied in the Caribbean, with a lot of peas, beans and vegetables. If you are eating 1 to 2 meals per day it is unlikely you are overindulging in meat.

You did not mention exercise so I hope you are getting some regularly. Good exercise makes everything work better and keeps wifey happy too. When wifey is happy there is harmony in the home and less stress.

In reply to VIX

Been doing IF for about 3 years now. Sometimes I do OMAD, and some weeks I mix it with keto but I generally eat what I want.

Too much alcohol destroys the memory part of the brain.
Please note that

And then there’s the gastric cancer.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 43 year old son died of that today.

In reply to Commie

Kinda similar for me. When I am on keto I allow myself some good quality rum with ice or neat. Yanno..like Ron Zacapa or Diplomatico or other aged Caribbean fare. Down over 35 lbs since...which is not necessarily the only health metric to go by..but hey..just that mitigates a number of risks. the challenge becomes when your LDL goes up and the doctors try to make you panic about it.

Truth be told...proper nutrition is not adequately addressed by 'mainstream' doctors..as a matter of fact the 'prescribed' diet is kinda proven to not work very well. So....you have to sift through hyperbole a bit..but people are left to lean on fellas like Dr Berg, Dr Chaffee, Ken Berry, Sten Eckberg, even that Thomas Delauer guy to get access to modern research on human diet and nutrition.

The regular nutritionists seem horrified by IF, Keto and Carnivore. They may have good reason...but on my last annual physical I saw some of the people trying to advise on nutrition and they didn't look very healthy to me. What's a man to do??

In reply to Cheeks

All this isn’t make you live longer yuh know

As the KJ Bible says

In reply to sudden

Not about quantity but quality.

In reply to Cheeks

I have never read a book on diets or nutrition. I do see articles and videos on nutrition which I read or listen to out of curiosity.

My guide for diet and nutrition is my parents and grandparents. I have a theory that human beings take a few generations to adapt to new diets. I don't know if it's accurate but I don't think I would do well on an Eskimo diet and I suspect that Eskimos would not do well on my starchy diet.

I eat the things my parents and grandparents ate except for the salted meat (they only got fridges in the sixties). They all lived long healthy, active lives.

I get a lot of exercise.

In reply to Headley

What you fail to understand is that you possess COMMON SENSE.Unfortunately that is a MISNOMER in that it is ANYTHING BUT COMMON!!!!!!

In reply to Headley
My youngest sister had two degrees in Dietetics She worked in a hospital. Sadly she died of cancer in 2005.

In reply to Dukes

Thank you doc. So far it seems to be working.

But the man who jumped off the 40 story building said the same thing when he passed the 20th floor.

In reply to Chrissy

Sorry to hear that. Please accept my condolences.

As you know, cancer is about behavioural, environmental and hereditary factors. We just have to positively affect and manage the ones we can control. I am sure you would have a high level of awareness.

In reply to Headley
Cancer is not in our family history - hers was environmental

In reply to Chrissy

I imagine that just makes it more frustrating to deal with.

When I read your post above about alcohol consumption I wondered how much of a contributory factor it was. It may be a coincidence but the only person I know with colon cancer drinks a lot.

In reply to Headley
The one thing I know about alcohol is that too much of it destroys memory.
I rarely drink - a glass of wine or a beer and few can nurse one of either better than me.
I drink more water and coffee (coffee before noon) than any other liquids.
I actually love water.

In reply to Chrissy

Makes sense. That would explain the tendency to keep drinking.

In reply to Chrissy

I personally know 2 people who lived to be 90 years old and drank excessively throughout their lives. One past away a year ago of natural causes and the other is still going strong, lives alone and is of sound mind. Both of them possessed phenomenal memories!

In reply to StumpCam

Wine (alcohol) was so revered that Jesus performed a miracle by turning water into wine