Eating too much chocolate can raise bowel cancer risk, study suggests

EATING too much chocolate can raise bowel cancer risk, a study suggests.

Antioxidant-rich foods — such as chocolate, nuts and berries — interacted with gut bacteria. A protein that ­usually protects against cancer then fuelled the disease instead.

Researchers did tests on mice where they introduced the mutated protein into the colon. It made their cancer worse.

But protein put in the small intestine turned into a “super-suppressor”.

The team from Israel’s Hebrew University of Jerusalem said it explains why most gastrointestinal cancers start in the colon.

Professor Yinon Ben-Neriah said: "Scientists are beginning to pay more and more attention to the role gut microbiomes play in our health.

"These include both their positive effects and – in this case – their sometimes pernicious role in aiding and abetting disease."

He said those at high-risk of bowel cancer may want to screen their gut-flora more frequently and think twice about the foods they digest. This includes antioxidants – usually good for health and found in abundance in fruit and veg.

They protect cells against free radicals which can cause heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

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