Turning 50 marks a number of milestones. It may mean a kid off to college, a remarriage, a new career, more gray hair, or the end of driving your mid-life-crisis Porsche while binge drinking like a teenager.
According to a new study from Harvard, turning 50 may mean you’re due for regular colonoscopy screenings. Recent findings support that these screenings may reduce colorectal cancers by as much as 40 percent.
Given that colorectal cancer kills roughly 50,000 people each year and has the second highest mortality rate of all cancers, the study hopes to promote preventive care, which can lead to the removal of questionable polyps.
CBS News reports, “During the study period, 1,815 people developed colorectal cancer and 474 died from the disease. … Researchers discovered that people who underwent colonoscopies or sigmoidoscopies as recommended had a reduced risk of getting colorectal cancer or dying from it.”
Exercise and eating a balanced diet with foods that are nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory, and filled with antioxidants are natural ways that may also keep one’s digestive tract healthy and properly functioning.
Read more on the study here.