Can Anti-Inflammatory Diet Really Reduce Colon Cancer Risk? Here's What The Study Suggests

Chronic inflammation is increasingly recognised as one of the leading contributors to many types of cancer, including colorectal and colon cancers. This is because continuous low-grade inflammation damages cells, generates reactive oxygen species, disrupts the normal cell-cycle checkpoints, and thus contributes to the development of pre-cancerous cells. According to research, experts reveal that the foods we eat-particularly how inflammatory or anti-inflammatory our diet is, influence our risk of colon cancer.

Link Between Anti-Inflammatory Diet And Colon Cancer Risk

According to a foundational paper by Tabung et al., researchers examined the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), which is a score of how pro vs anti-inflammatory your diet is, in relation to colorectal cancer risk. They concluded that individuals in the highest (most pro-inflammatory) DII category had about a 40 % higher risk of CRC, compared with those in the lowest (most anti-inflammatory) category. Additionally, for every 1 point increase in DII, the risk increased by approximately 7%. 

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More recently, a new study from the Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute (Boston) found that among patients with stage III colon cancer, people whose post-treatment diets were less inflammatory had significantly better overall survival compared to those whose diets were more pro-inflammatory. And, in the worst dietary quintile (most pro-inflammatory), the risk of death was 87 % higher than in the most anti-inflammatory quintile. 

Moreover, a meta-analytic work published in 2025 showed that for the highest versus lowest DII levels, colorectal cancer risk increased by approximately 43 %, and even for each unit increase of DII, there was a measurable uptick in risk. 

What Is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

Researchers explain that an anti-inflammatory diet is high in:

• Leafy green vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fruits
• Nuts, olive oil, fish, tea, coffee
• Low in refined grains, processed meats, red meat, sugary beverages

For example, in the Dana-Farber study, the anti-inflammatory diet included higher consumption of coffee, tea, leafy greens and vegetables. On the other hand, pro-inflammatory diets were higher in red and processed meats, refined grains, and sugar-sweetened drinks. 

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However, these studies also note important caveats. Most of the evidence is observational, which means that we can observe associations but cannot claim the cause. The dietary assessment is based on self-report, using food-frequency questionnaires, and assessing the inflammatory potential of diet is particularly complicated.

Other lifestyle factors count too, such as physical activity, body weight, smoking, alcohol intake, and genetics, all these contribute to colon cancer risk. Studies also reveal that physical activity acts synergistically. 

Additionally, the dietary pattern is only one of those aspects, and the risk of colorectal cancer also depends on screening, genetics, gut microbiome, and many non-dietary factors.

Bottomline

While it's no magic bullet, evidence suggests that adopting a diet with lower inflammatory potential may meaningfully reduce the risk of colon cancer, and also improve survival after colon cancer, along with other healthy practices.