STORY AT-A-GLANCE

By Dr. Mercola

When you take antibiotics, there are both short- and long-term risks, the latter of which may not become evident until long after you've stopped taking the drugs (making it next to impossible to connect the two). One of their greatest risks is also their mechanism of action: wiping out the bacteria in your gut.

When this occurs, the infection-causing bacteria should be eliminated, but so, too, are all of the other bacteria making up your microbiome.

In 2014, researchers linked antibiotics use to a slightly increased risk (8 percent to 11 percent) of developing colorectal cancer, also known as bowel cancer, possibly because of alterations to the gut microbiome.1

Likewise, past research has also shown that people with less bacterial diversity in their gastrointestinal tracts are more likely to develop colon cancer.2

The latest research further suggests altering your microbiome via antibiotics also reduces your resistance to bacteria that could increase the development of precancerous growths in your colon, known as polyps.

Colon polyps are small masses of cells that can develop on the lining of your colon. While typically harmless, colon polyps can be precursors to colorectal cancer, which includes both cancers of the colon and rectum, and may lead to cancer development if left untreated.

New research, published in the journal Gut, used data from more than 16,600 women aged 60 years and older, spanning 2004 to 2010. Women who had used antibiotics for two months or more were at an increased risk of developing colon polyps.3

Specifically, those who used the drugs for a total of at least two months in their 20s and 30s had a 36 percent increased risk of polyps compared to those who did not.

Among women who used the drugs long-term in their 40s and 50s, the risk of polyps increased by 70 percent.4 Even taking antibiotics for 15 days or more, at any age range, was associated with an increased risk of polyps. Medical News Today reported:

While the study only addressed prescription antibiotics, there's also a chance that consuming antibiotics via your food (such asCAFO meats) could also be involved.

The researchers pointed out that not only do antibiotics "fundamentally alter the gut microbiome by curbing the diversity and number of bacteria, and reducing the resistance to hostile bugs," but bacteria that may require antibiotics treatment may also be inflammatory, another risk factor for colon cancer development.6

Lead researcher Dr. Andrew Chan, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told CBS News:7

As mentioned, this isn't the first time antibiotics have been implicated in colorectal cancer. In 2016, another study found increasing use of antibiotics was associated with an increasing risk of colorectal cancer, especially when used frequently.8

As the study noted, "Microbiotical dysbiosis induced by a Western diet seems to be associated with an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer," so why, too, wouldn't antibiotics usage, which also affects microbiota?

Health officials in the U.S. recommend anyone over the age of 50 at average risk of colorectal cancer be screened via colonoscopy every 10 years or by flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years.

The primary tools used to test for colon cancer are flexible sigmoidoscopes and colonoscopes. Neither of these expensive pieces of equipment are disposable. This means they must be thoroughly cleaned inside and out and sterilized before each use, and therein lies the problem.

As discussed by David Lewis, Ph.D., a retired microbiologist with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in the video above, the disinfection process used does not properly sterilize these tools, posing a risk of illness.

Earlier this year, another medical scope, a duodenoscope used in the treatment of cancer, gallstonesand bile and pancreatic duct problems, was tied to at least 25 outbreaks with drug-resistant bacteria, which sickened 250 people.9

This is particularly concerning, since the scope was recalled in 2016 after it was found a small mechanism on the scope could spread bacteria between patients.

The company reportedly fixed the problem, and now Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is asking for proof that the scope can be properly disinfected between patients, as the company suggested.10

The tools used in most colonoscopies cannot be autoclaved (heat sterilized), and testing reveals the disinfection techniques and agents used 80 percent of the time are grossly inadequate. As a result, the tools can spread all manner of infections from one patient to another.

Considering multi drug-resistant bacterial infections are on the rise, this is a tremendous concern. The good news is you can protect yourself and dramatically reduce your risk of infection by asking the right questions before you schedule your appointment:

• How is the endoscope cleaned between patients?

• Specifically, which cleaning agent is used?

◦ If the hospital or clinic uses peracetic acid, your likelihood of contracting an infection from a previous patient is slim

◦ Glutaraldehyde, or the brand name Cidex (which is what 80 percent of clinics use), does NOT properly sterilize these tools. If glutaraldehyde is used, cancel your appointment and find a clinic that uses peracetic acid

• How many of your colonoscopy patients have had to be hospitalized due to infections?

Another consideration is the prep for the procedure, which typically involves flushing out your intestinal tract with harsh laxatives. Like antibiotics, this, too, has the potential to lead to dysbiosis and other gut imbalances.11

It's just one more fact to be aware of when weighing the benefits and risks of colonoscopy for colon cancer screening.

The health of your gut affects that of your entire body, which is why protecting your colon health shares many of the same principles as protecting your gut health. For instance, according to one study, dried plums (i.e. prunes) may lower your risk of colon cancer by building your gut bacteria.12

Adequate fiber is also important. For every 10 grams of fiber you add to your daily diet, your risk of colon cancer decreases by 10 percent.13 Vegetables are your best source of fiber. Psyllium seed husk, flax seeds, hemp seeds and chia seeds also provide valuable sources of soluble and insoluble fiber.

l for both gut health and disease prevention, including colon cancer. For example, butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid created when microbes ferment dietary fiber in your gut, has been shown to induce programmed cell death of colon cancer cells.14

In short, eating a high-vegetable,fiber- and fermented food-rich diet is key for preventing colon cancer, and the reason for this is directly related to the way it affects your gut microbiome. According to one study, "intestinal bacteria can act in concert with diet to reduce or increase the risk of certain types of colorectal cancer."15

Both processed meats and red CAFO meats have been linked to colon cancer, and it's important to understand that many of these contain antibiotic residues as well as other compounds that may influence your cancer risk.

Processed meats, such as bacon, ham, pastrami, salami, pepperoni, hot dogs and some sausages, are those preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding chemical preservatives. The nitrates found in processed meats are frequently converted into nitrosamines, which are clearly associated with an increased risk of certain cancers.

A 2007 analysis by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) found that eating just one sausage a day may raise your risk of bowel cancer.16 Specifically, 1.8 ounces of processed meat daily — about one sausage or three pieces of bacon — was found to raise your likelihood of the cancer by 20 percent.

Research also suggests that people who eat the most red meat (in one study this was five ounces a day) have a 24 percent greater risk of colorectal cancer than those who eat the least.17 Red meat is likely not the problem in and of itself, however; the way it's cooked, and the source it comes from, likely play a role. Grass fed beef, for instance, contains cancer-fighting compounds.

When it comes to meats, I recommend eating organically raised grass fed meats only and cooking them only lightly (rare, not well-done). For the record, I believe most people need some animal protein to be optimally healthy, but most eat far more protein than is necessary (or healthy).

Although one of the primary symptoms of CFS/ME is chronic fatigue, there are other reasons you may feel chronically tired. A YouGov.com poll found two-fifths of Americans feel poorly rested at least four days of the week.17 A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study found 15 percent of woman and 10 percent of men felt tired or exhausted most days, or every day.18

Before jumping to the conclusion you may have a significant health condition, consider you may not be getting enough quality sleep each night. According to the CDC, 33 percent of adults in the U.S. do not get at least seven hours of sleep a night.19 If you are a woman with children, each child increases your risk of insufficient sleep by 50 percent; but not so for men.20

You may be able to reduce your feelings of exhaustion or of being tired by paying close attention to your sleep hygiene. For a long list of tips to improve your sleep quality, see "Want a Good Night's Sleep? Then Never Do These Things Before Bed."

It is important to differentiate between being sleepy or not having the energy to move around during the day. Each of these symptoms may indicate something different. Other health conditions that include feelings of sleepiness, being tired or too exhausted to move or exercise may include:21,22,23

Sources and References

1 Live Science June 3, 2014

2 J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013 Dec 18;105(24):1907-11.

3 Gut April 4, 2017

4 Japan Today April 5, 2017

5 Medical News Today April 5, 2017

6 BBC News April 5, 2017

7 CBS News April 5, 2017

8 Dig Dis Sci. 2016 Jan;61(1):255-64.

9, 10 Los Angeles Times April 4, 2017

11 Washington Post May 19, 2015

12 CBS Houston September 29, 2015

13 Nu Cancer. 2005;53(1):117-25.

14 Factors Determining the Apoptotic Response of Colorectal Carcinoma Cells to Butyrate, a Fermentation Product Derived from Dietary Fiber (2009)

15 Medical News Today January 27, 2017

16 World Cancer Research Fund: Food Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective November 2007

17 Cancer Res March 15, 2010 70; 2406

18 American Cancer Society, Colorectal Cancer

19 The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition September 2012

20 Gut January 15, 2015

21 J. Nutr. November 1, 2002 vol. 132 no. 11 3456S-3464S

22 Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: November 2003 - Volume 35 - Issue 11 - pp 1823-1827

23 Lancet August 14, 2014 [Epub ahead of print]