Eat This Fruit For a Healthy Colon

Since my father died of cancer, I look for ways to make sure it doesn't happen to me.

One simple way to prevent colon cancer is to make sure you are getting enough fiber. Yet studies show ninety-six percent of Americans do not have an adequate intake of fiber.

One simple way to help make sure you're getting enough fiber every day is to eat an apple. The kind of fiber in apples - called pectin - increases your colon-protective compounds and clamps down on cancer-causing ones.

In a lab study, apple pectin increased levels of butyrate, a fatty acid that not only keeps colon tissue healthy but also slows the production of a cancer-causing substance. Apple juice extracts amped up butyrate as well.

Apples are also high in antioxidants, which help prevent the free radical damage that is associated with cancer.

So I guess the old adage is true. An apple a day, helps keep the doctor away.