Colonoscopy and a new study's findings; avocado oil question
What does the new research suggest about colonoscopy screenings, cooking oils-is there an avocado oil that is best and other options.
What can we learn from the new study on colonoscopies?
In the United States, we have been trained to believe that a colonoscopy is a must once we turn a certain age. Medical professionals advise healthy people to get their first colonoscopy at 45 and to continue getting regular screenings every ten years until age 75.
With this test suggested to prevent cancer and reduce your mortality risk, you would have thought there would be more randomized trials by 2022, but that is not the case.
As a healthy individual, what are the benefits of a colonoscopy screening?
It appears not much. In this most recent study by Bretthauer et al. (2022) risk of death from colorectal cancer was 0.28% in the screening group and 0.31% in the non-screening group- a nonstatistical difference. It was determined that 455 people would need screening to prevent one case (not death) of colorectal cancer.
Below is a helpful clip from Pam Popper explaining the results and findings of the Bretthauer et al. (2022) study and her thoughts on the test as a screening and diagnostic tool.
https://www.brighteon.com/06cba1e3-85b2-4aea-84ef-586d333aa212
There are risks to any medical procedure. With a colonoscopy, hazards include perforation and bleeding, with the dangers for perforation at 6 in 10,000 and bleeding at 24 per 10,000 (Tomaszewski et al., 2021). Another concern Dr. Mercola has posted about in the past is that most people do not know about the risk of the equipment not being thoroughly sterilized.
Here is the link to pdfs for Dr. Mercola’s most recent blog post on colonoscopy and another link to an interview on the concerns with the equipment used in the procedure
https://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2022/October/PDF/colonoscopies-carry-significant-risks-pdf.pdf
https://mercola.fileburst.com/PDF/ExpertInterviewTranscripts/DrDavidLewis-SterilizationOfEndoscopes.pdf
As a nutritionist, I cannot give medical advice or advise you if you should or should not get a screening. I did a fecal occult stool sample several years back. If the lab detected occult blood in the model, it would have been wise to get further testing and consult with my health professional. Since the test did not indicate occult blood, I did not get a colonoscopy.
Everyone’s situation is different. Using a colonoscopy as a screening or diagnostic tool may be helpful for someone with a history of colon cancer or who has IBD. Since IBD puts you at greater risk of colon cancer, addressing this autoimmune condition from a root cause dietary perspective may be beneficial.
Prevention Strategies
Does your doctor discuss the prevention strategies to reduce your risk of colorectal cancer?
Consume a diet high in fiber-rich whole foods such as beans, legumes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and beets, and support gut health with fermented foods and probiotic supplements.
Remove inflammatory foods from the diet, such as sugar, processed and packaged foods, and oils high in omega-6 EFAs, such as canola, vegetable, and soybean oil.
Keep bowels moving regularly, and BMs should be easy to pass as you should not have to strain.
My last question is, what happens to the gut microbiome after a colonoscopy procedure? We need more data on this than what I have found, as it appears there is very little research looking to determine if there are any long-term health impacts a colonoscopy has on gut homeostasis.
Sources
Bretthauer, M., Løberg, M., Wieszczy, P., Kalager, M., Emilsson, L., Garborg, K., Rupinski, M., Dekker, E., Spaander, M., Bugajski, M., Holme, Ø, Zauber, A. G., Pilonis, N. D., Mroz, A., Kuipers, E. J., Shi, J., Hernán, M. A., Adami, H., Regula, J., . . . Kaminski, M. F. (2022). Effect of Colonoscopy Screening on Risks of Colorectal Cancer and Related Death. N Engl J Med, 10.1056/NEJMoa2208375https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2208375
Tomaszewski, M., Sanders, D., Enns, R., Gentile, L., Cowie, S., Nash, C., Petrunia, D., Mullins, P., Hamm, J., Azari-Razm, N., Bykov, D., & Telford, J. (2021). Risks associated with colonoscopy in a population-based colon screening program: an observational cohort study. CMAJ Open, 9(4), E940. https://doi.org/10.9778/cmajo.20200192
Avocado Oil Scams, Fakes, and the Real Ones
Recently someone read an older blog post of mine discussing a 2020 study in which avocado oils were tested, and the results found that 82% of the samples tested were fake or rancid. They wanted to know which avocado oils I recommend, and unfortunately, the avocado review article did not identify the oils they tested.
At the time of that post, the only one I knew to be a pure avocado oil was Cal Pure, made in California, and I had to order it from Amazon. Since I now try to support small businesses and limit my purchases from Amazon, I no longer use avocado oil.
What do I use instead?
For raw dishes, I still use Olea Estates EVOO. This is my favorite brand. I have done personal taste tests, and I find the taste of Olea Estate far superior to bringing out the flavors in raw dishes such as salads or tossing them into bean dishes and hummus.
As for cooking, avocado oil has the advantage of withstanding high cooking temperatures. I switched to cooking at lower temperatures and using beef tallow, duck fat, coconut oil, ghee, or grass-fed butter for cooking and baking. At times I will use Bragg’s EVOO if cooking at low heat. Duck fat has a smoking point of 375 F., and beef tallow will start to burn at 420 F., so not as high as avocado oil, but still, a good option if you are not opposed to using a meat source. Once opened, store beef tallow and duck fat in the fridge, or keep them in the freezer for long-term storage. Use your nose as the guide to indicate if it has gone rancid.
What is your go-to fat source for cooking? Or do you not use a fat source and instead use an air fryer? I have an air fryer and enjoy cooking in this. The downside is that the surface area is small, so I have to cook in batches.
Here is the link to that 2020 blog post: https://trufoodsnutrition.com/avocado-oil-scam/
If you are interested in my services, I am taking clients on a waitlist basis at this time and will see new clients in January 2023. I am still doing free 15-minute phone consultations to help you determine if my services are a good fit for you.