Apples for Health- Minerals may reduce colon cancer risk

Minerals may reduce colon cancer risk

NASHVILLE, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Calcium supplements only reduce the risk of colon cancer recurrence if the ratio of calcium to magnesium is low, U.S. researchers suggest.

Dr. Qi Dai of Vanderbilt University in Nashville said high magnesium intake has been associated with low risk of colorectal cancer. Calcium supplementation has been shown to inhibit colorectal carcinogenesis, although high calcium may simultaneously prevent the body from absorbing magnesium, Dai said.

High magnesium intake has been associated with low risk of colorectal cancer. Americans have similar average magnesium intake as East Asian populations but the United States has seen a much higher colorectal cancer incidence rate than East Asian populations.

"If calcium levels were involved alone, you'd expect the opposite direction. There may be something about these two factors combined -- the ratio of one to the other -- that might be at play," Dai said in a statement.

Dai and colleagues said the risk of colorectal cancer adenoma -- benign growths that over time may progress to become malignant -- recurrence was reduced by 32 percent among those with baseline calcium to magnesium ratio below the median in comparison to no reduction for those above the median.

Calcium may only protect against colorectal cancer in presence of magnesium, Dai said.