Skip to main content
Mayo Clinic Health System
  • Patient Online Services
  • Pay Bill Online
  • Request an Appointment
    • Services
    • Providers
    • Locations

      Minnesota

      • Adams
      • Albert Lea
      • Austin
      • Belle Plaine
      • Blooming Prairie
      • Butterfield
      • Caledonia
      • Cannon Falls
      • Fairmont
      • Faribault
      • Janesville
      • Kenyon
      • Lake City
      • Le Sueur
      • Mankato
      • Montgomery
      • New Prague
      • New Richland
      • Northfield
      • Owatonna
      • Plainview
      • Red Wing
      • Sherburn
      • St. James
      • St. Peter
      • Waseca
      • Waterville
      • Wells
      • Zumbrota

      Wisconsin

      • Arcadia
      • Barron
      • Bloomer
      • Chetek
      • Chippewa Falls
      • Eau Claire
      • Ellsworth
      • Glenwood City
      • Holmen
      • La Crosse
      • Menomonie
      • Mondovi
      • Onalaska
      • Osseo
      • Prairie du Chien
      • Rice Lake
      • Sparta
      • Tomah

      Iowa

      • Decorah
      • Lake Mills

      View map
    • Classes/Events
    • Blog
    • Wellness
    • Referrals
    • COVID-19
    • Influenza

    Recent Posts

    • People playing Jenga
      Speaking of Health
      Preserving pandemic positives
      January 27, 2023
    • Person outdoors in the cold wearing hat, hoodie and facemask
      Speaking of Health
      Is the extreme cold bad for your lungs?
      January 27, 2023
    • Hands holding hand with ring
      Speaking of Health
      Dementia-related pain: What caregivers need to know
      January 26, 2023
    Featured Topics
    • Behavioral Health
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • COVID-19
    • COVID-19 Vaccine
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Heart Health
    • Men's Health
    • Neurosurgery
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology
    • Orthopedic Health
    • Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery
    • Women's Health
    Join our email newsletter
    Speaking of Health
    Monday, August 24, 2020

    5 things you can do to keep your colon healthy

    Topics in this Post
    • Gastrointestinal Health
    • Colorectal Health
    Hands holding stomach for colon pain

    By Mayo Clinic staff

    For years, turning 50 came with a special birthday message from your health care provider: Time to have a colonoscopy.

    Now that message will be coming a bit sooner. The American Cancer Society recently updated those screening guidelines, recommending most people get their first colonoscopy at age 45.

    Colon cancer rates have been increasing in younger people. The change in the guideline is designed to help catch those cancers earlier, when they’re more likely to be curable.

    Whatever your age, there are 5 other steps you can take to avoid developing colon cancer, the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S.:

    1. Eat your veggies and healthy fats.

    “Research has shown that the Western diet correlates to higher colon cancer rates,” says Salwa Bakkali-Derksen, D.O., an internal medicine provider at Mayo Clinic Health System in Owatonna, Minnesota. “People who eat high-fiber diets are less likely to develop the disease.” She also recommends limiting the amount of meat you eat, especially processed meats.

    Dr. Bakkali-Derksen emphasizes the importance of consuming healthy fats found in olive oil, salmon rich in Omega-3, avocados and nuts, as well as limiting low-processed fats found in fried food.

    2. Get moving.

    You know exercise benefits your heart and can help you maintain your weight. It also may lower your risk of developing some types of cancer, including colon cancer. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days of the week.

    3. Watch your weight.

    According to the American Cancer Society, carrying extra pounds increases your risk of colon cancer, as well as cancers of the breast (in postmenopausal women), rectum, esophagus, pancreas and kidney, among others. Talk to your provider if you need help losing weight.

    4. Limit alcohol and don't smoke.

    If you choose to drink alcohol, do so moderately. That means no more than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men. And if you smoke, quit. Your provider can offer tips or refer you to a program to help you stop.

    5. Follow screening guidelines.

    It’s so important that we’re going to end where we began. One of the most important cancer prevention strategies is to follow the colon cancer screening guidelines that are right for you based on your age, risk factors and family history.

    A colonoscopy is more than a screening tool. It can actually prevent cancer by discovering precancerous changes, called polyps, and removing them before they develop into cancer.


    For the safety of our patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a non-patient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.
    Topics in this Post
    • Gastrointestinal Health
    • Colorectal Health

    Related Posts

    Dog and woman sitting together Benefits of sedation-free colonoscopy
    Couple sitting and smiling Colorectal cancer Q&A
    Person with short, curly hair wearing denim shirt looking to right Trust your gut: What you need to know about digestive health

    Stay Connected

    • Contact Us
    • Notice of Nondiscrimination
    • Notice of Privacy Practices
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
    • Careers
    • Volunteer
    • Donate
    • For Patients & Visitors
    • Financial Assistance
    • Community Resources
    • Mayo Clinic Connect
    • For Medical Professionals
    • Press Room
    • Mayo Clinic
    • Home
    © 2018 - 2023 Mayo Clinic Health System