Increasing the intake of purple potatoes and other colorful fruits and vegetables could lower the risk of colon cancer and many other diseases, according to the results of a new study.

Share on Pinterest Researchers suggest that purple potatoes may help to prevent colon cancer.

In a study of pigs, researchers found that supplementing a high-calorie diet (HCD) with purple potatoes led to a reduction in levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) – a pro-inflammatory protein that studies have shown can promote colon cancer – in the colon.

Study co-author Jairam K.P. Vanamala, a professor of food sciences at Pennsylvania State University in State College, and colleagues say that their results support previous research that claims that plant-based diets are linked to lower colon cancer risk.

The researchers recently reported their findings in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.

According to the American Cancer Society, there will be 95,520 new cases of colon cancer diagnosed in the United States this year.

If caught early, the 5-year survival rate for colon cancer is around 92 percent. For patients whose colon cancer has metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body, 5-year survival stands at around 11 percent.

Studies have suggested that dietary changes – such as reducing meat intake and increasing the consumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables – can help to lower the risk of colon cancer.

Prof. Vanamala and team expand on these findings by shedding light on how brightly colored fruits and vegetables might contribute to better colonic health.

“What we are learning is that food is a double-edge sword – it may promote disease, but it may also help prevent chronic diseases, like colon cancer,” says Prof. Vanamala. “What we don’t know is, ‘how does this food work on the molecular level?’ This study is a step in that direction.”