Apples and Colorectal Cancer: All There Is To Know

Yes, it turns out that apples are one of the best cancer-fighting fruits on the planet. They’re rich in crucial fibers and antioxidants that can be an absolute game-changer for human health and stave off a number of different cancer types.

In this article, we’ll dive into how your diet increases or reduces your risk of cancer, and how certain nutrients can be highly potent allies in your fight against cancer.

We’ll then look at apples and what makes them singularly effective for fighting cancer—not just one type, but multiple types.

Finally, we’ll give some simple advice on how to incorporate apples into your daily anti-cancer diet for maximum impact.

Understanding the Link Between Diet and Cancer

Here’s a pretty scary fact:colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer-related cause of death in the United States. The survival rate after 5 years is just 65%, and it’s estimated more than 154,270 new cases were diagnosed in 2025 alone. Worse, more than 50,000 people are estimated to lose their life from this type of cancer in 2025.

While it’s unclear what causes this type of cancer, there are many established risk factors that increase your cancer risk. For example, elderly people have a higher chance of developing colorectal cancers, as are those who are overweight or obese.

But did you know that the main risk factors are all dietary? That’s right: the food you eat could increase (or decrease) your cancer risk.

How Diet Impacts Your Colorectal Cancer Risk

Here are the primary dietary risk factors related to colorectal cancer:

Excessive consumption of saturated fats. Saturated fats can trigger inflammation in the gut, which can contribute to not only colon cancer, but also Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Excessively high animal protein intake. Red meat and processed meats can also lead to intestinal and chronic widespread inflammation, elevating the risk of colon cancer by as much as 20%[1].
High alcohol consumption. Research [2]proves that all alcohol except red wine are associated with significant increase in colon cancer risk. However, when consumed in excess, even red wine can elevate your risk of colon and rectal cancer.
Very high calorie diet. A diet that is high in calories is likely high in saturated fats and animal proteins. Excessive caloric intake can also lead to excessive blood sugar production and reduce digestive function.

The good news is that a balanced, healthy diet can drastically reduce colorectal cancer risk. Cutting back on animal protein intake (to no more than 20% of daily calories) also reduces the consumption of saturated fat. Reducing calories and limiting alcohol consumption will play a huge role in preventing this cancer.

But it turns out the best way to reduce colorectal cancer is to increase your dietary fiber intake by eating A LOT more vegetables and fruits. Why is that?

The Role of Fiber and Antioxidants in Cancer Prevention

Fiber is the most crucial nutrient for preventing and fighting colon and rectal cancer, but it can also play a role in combatting other cancers, too.

According to one meta-analysis [3], “dietary fiber offers protective effects against various types of malignancies, including gastrointestinal cancers (such as colorectal, gastric, and esophageal cancers) and female-specific cancers (such as breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers), as well as pancreatic, prostate, and renal cell cancers.”

Dietary fiber can speed up the rate at which stool passes through the gastrointestinal tract while also decreasing stool volume. Less stool spending less time in the gut means less exposure to the carcinogens that are present in the food we eat.

Here are some other ways in which dietary fiber plays a role in cancer prevention:

Itbinds to bile acids, which not only reduces cholesterol but also prevents those same bile acids from contributing to digestive tract cancers by triggering oxidative stress and inflammation.
It feeds the gut flora, which helps maintain good gut microbiome health, combats bacteria, and fortifies the intestines against toxins and pathogens. It can reduce nitrite from the stomach, which leads to a reduced risk of stomach cancer.
Higher dietary fiber intake has been proven to reduce precancerous lesions in the esophagus, improve Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and prevent acid reflux from damaging the esophageal tract (which is a known risk factor in esophageal cancer).
Dietary fiber can alsodecrease the amount of estrogen circulating in your bloodstream, which can directly reduce breast cancer risk. The antioxidant and anticancer properties of dietary fiber can also inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation and maintain normal cellular turnover to prevent excessive growth to form tumors.
Fiber protects against ovarian cancer by reducing free-circulating estrogen, improving gut health, streamlining waste elimination, and affecting the insulin-like growth factor that is considered a risk for ovarian and prostate cancer both. It can also reduce carbohydrate absorption, decrease insulin resistance, and protect against prostate cancer.
Fiber may even help fight pancreatic cancer by curbing inflammation. Chronic pancreatitis is a known risk factor in pancreatic cancer, as is excessively and chronically high blood sugar levels (due to high sugar and low fiber intake).

Working in tandem with fiber to fight cancer in your body are antioxidants. Antioxidants fight free radicals, protect against oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, maintain normal cellular turnover, prevent DNA damage, and shield your body against external toxins [4]. By doing all this, they drastically lower cancer risk.

Apples and Their Unique Cancer-Fighting Properties

woman eats appled and cencer risk is statistically reduced

Apples, in particular, are proving to be an amazing source of crucial antioxidants and specific cancer-fighting dietary properties.

In recent years, a number of lab-based and in-vitro studies have proven that apples offer a lot of health benefits—from decreased appetite to better digestion. A team of scientists wanted to find out whether apples could also help to reduce colorectal cancer risk.

More than 1300 patients were chosen for this cancer research study[5]. 590 of the patients had colorectal cancer, while the other 760 were control subjects (without cancer).

The researchers questioned all the patients to determine their fruit consumption, and they found that the control group consumed “statistically significant” quantities of fruit more than the cancer patients.

Not only that, but apples were the most consumed fruit, accounting for roughly 80% of the fruit consumed.

While the consumption of berries, stone fruits, and citrus fruits seemed to have little effect on the cancer risk, the patients that consumed the highest amount of apples per week had the lowest risk of colorectal cancer.

As the study said, “the adjusted risk of colorectal cancer inversely correlated with daily number of apple servings.” Basically, the more apples the patients ate every week, the lower their risk of cancer.

Key Compounds in Apples Linked to Cancer Prevention

As the researchers in the above-mentioned study said, “The observed protective effect of apple consumption on colorectal risk may result from their rich content of flavonoid and other polyphenols, which can inhibit cancer onset and cell proliferation.”

Polyphenols and flavonoids are phytochemicals, bioactive compounds that can curb inflammation, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic medical conditions, and, of course, fight cancer.

Apples contain a number of phytochemicals, including:

Hydroxycinnamic acids, including chlorogenic acid;
Flavonols, including quercetin;
Flavan-3-ols, including epicatechin (similar to the catechins in green tea);
Dihydrochalcones, including Phloretin-2-glucoside;
Procyanidin B2;
Anthocyanidins;
Phenolic compounds.

These antioxidants “exhibit promising antioxidant effects by playing a role in significant mechanisms responsible for the prevention of illnesses triggered by oxidative stress” and “have significant effects in affecting signaling pathways that control cell survival, growth, and proliferation”. [6]

Further studies into apples have shown that these antioxidants can suppress the invasion and migration of lung cancer cells, prevent the formation of hepatomas, inhibit liver and colon cancer cells, and even stop the production of breast cancer cells.

How Apples Reduce Colorectal and Other Cancer Risks

The antioxidants in apples inhibit cancer cell growth by inhibiting GLUT2, a glucose transporter that helps glucose move across cell membranes. GLUT2 is particularly active in the liver, kidneys, intestines, and pancreas, where glucose is absorbed, processed, and regulated.

Inhibiting the effect of GLUT2 leads to a lower risk of developing cancer in these organs. After all, cancers feed on sugar [7], so depriving them of their primary food source can slow their reproduction and spread.

Polysaccharides in apples also reduces colorectal cancer cells’ ability to migrate, keeping them from spreading throughout the intestines. It can do the same for cancer cells in the pancreas and liver both.

Finally, the polyphenols in apples induce apoptosis (cell death), killing off cancer cells to make way for the production of new healthy cells. It can do this for not only intestinal cancer cells, but also liver, lung, skin, ovarian, and breast cancer cells.

How Many Apples Should You Eat to Reap the Benefits?

The old saying goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Is one apple enough, or should you be eating more as a colorectal cancer treatment and preventive measure?

According to the data gathered by the researchers, one apple was sufficient to reduce colorectal cancer risk, but MORE apples are always better. Eating two or more apples per day led to a reduced cancer risk of roughly 50%!

While none of the other fruits or veggies had a direct effect on colorectal cancer, apples were able to reduce your risk. Seems like a pretty clear indication that apples deserve a place on your daily menu.

person holding fresh red apples in their hands

There Is Such a Thing as Too Much

Be warned: don’t go all out and eat 5 or 10 apples a day. Just as with any fruit, apples are rich in sugar, which your body will turn to stored fat.

Eating more than four or five apples a day will be just as bad as eating an extra donut or having a second helping of dessert. Sugar, even fructose, can lead to excess fat storage if consumed in high quantities.

The good news is that you can eat two or three apples without worrying about your sugar intake, and it will do good to reduce your risk of colorectal cancer. The high fiber content of apples make them one of the healthiest fruits on the planet.

Incorporating Apples into a Cancer-Preventive Diet

By now, it should be clear that at least some apples should be featured on your daily cancer-fighting menu. The best part is that it’s incredibly easy to add more apples into your meals—you’ve just got to be smart about it!

person cutting fresh green apples in their kitchen

Practical Tips for Daily Apple Consumption

To get more apples in your daily diet:

Chop apples into your morning oatmeal or muesli.
Have a few apple slices as your midmorning snack.
Pack an apple in the work you take to lunch.
Slice up apples for your salads, or incorporate them into your homemade salsas.
Have a bowl of applesauce or apple parfait as an evening treat.
Dehydrate apple chips for a healthy sweet or savory snack.
Spread apple butter on your toast instead of jam.

Apples are incredibly versatile and can be used in a wide range of both sweet and savory dishes. The more you experiment, the more uses you’ll find for them.

Pairing Apples with Other Cancer-Fighting Foods

For maximum impact in reducing cancer risk, try mixing apples with other cancer-fighting foods to double down on the anti-inflammatory, fiber-providing, anti-tumor benefits.

Some ideas include:

Start your morning off by mixing apples into your high-fiber, ultra-healthy oatmeal (made with your favorite nut milk).
Make a salad using arugula, apples, blueberries, cherry tomatoes, and walnuts, all cancer-fighting foods.
Make a fruit salad with commonly consumed fruit like apples, raspberries, dark red grapes, watermelon, and citrus fruits, all of which are anti-cancer powerhouses.
Whip up a cancer-fighting homemade salsa for your tacos using lycopene-rich tomatoes, polyphenol-rich apples, and capsaicin-rich red chili peppers.

The more you combine cancer-fighting, high-fiber, inflammation-fighting foods, the better chance you’ll have of living a long and healthy life!

Conclusion: Why Apples Deserve a Place in Your Diet

By now, it should be abundantly clear that apples really are a superfood, one that you need to be eating every single day.

Aim for at least one apple, but try for 2-3 for maximum benefits. They’ll reduce your risk of cancer, improve digestion, curb inflammation, facilitate better blood sugar regulation, supress your appetite, and fight diabetes and cancer.

With results like that, you can’t NOT prioritize eating apples!

While apples and fiber-rich foods are excellent for lowering your cancer risk, your body also needs extra support to handle the toxins and stressors it faces every day. That’s where strategic supplementation can make a big difference—especially when it comes to your liver, one of your main detox organs.

To further support your liver and assist your natural detox pathways, you should consider herbal supplementation. We partnered with environmental toxin specialists and supplement formulators to create the best formula on the market that supports your liver and kidneys detox organs in a safe way – it’s called Restore Detox.

How does it work? We selected the most potent 6 detoxifiers, which have been used for centuries.

Click here to learn more about Restore Detox and find out how it can change your future for the better by boosting your body’s natural detoxification pathways and helping you to live your best, youngest, and healthiest life!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the body cure cancer on its own?

Spontaneous remission or regression (the body curing cancer on its own) is rare (1 in every 60,000 to 100,000 cases) but not unheard of. The body’s immune systemmay be able to eradicate the cancer or tumor cells on its own. However, outside intervention—in the form of radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, and other cancer therapy treatments—is typically necessary.

What is the number one fruit for cancer fighting?

Berries like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and Acai berries have the highest Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score, meaning the highest quantity of antioxidants present. Their high antioxidants content gives them the greatest chance of killing off tumor cells, inhibiting free radicals, and protecting your body against oxidative damage.

What is the number one food that kills inflammation?

No one food is “best” for reducing inflammation. However, there are a great many wonderful anti-inflammatory foods: flax seeds, which are rich Omega-3 fatty acids; whole grains, which are loaded with antioxidants; fruits and vegetables, also rich in fiber and antioxidants, along with other crucial minerals and vitamins; and spices like ginger and turmeric.

Resources:

Can an Apple a Day Help Keep Cancer Away?

Onco-Preventive and Chemo-Protective Effects of Apple Bioactive Compounds

Apple intake and cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Apples: Linked with Lower Risk of (ER-) Breast Cancer

Fruits to Eat When You Have Cancer

Cancer-fighting foods to reduce cancer risk

An apple a day to prevent cancer formation

The Role of Diet and Lifestyle in Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Survival

We created ZONIA because we believe that everyone deserves to be empowered with the education and tools to be healthy and happy. Zonia's original videos and personalized transformation programs by our health & wellness experts will help you achieve this mission. Click on the button below to get started today:

join zonia now

We are about to change your life forever! By joining ZONIA you will get an instant access to 500+ original short-form videos across 25+ original shows that present groundbreaking information and practical daily actions that will empower you to transform your life. Join thousands others and become Zonia member today!

more info

ZoniaOur Experts Contact us FAQ