Anti-Inflammatory Diet Improves Colon Cancer Survival: New Study Reveals 63% Lower Death Risk
New Research Ties Anti-Inflammatory Diet to Better Survival in Colon Cancer
What if one of the most powerful tools you have to address cancer isn't found in a pill bottle, but on your plate?
A groundbreaking new study from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, presented at this year's American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, has made waves in the oncology world, and it should make waves in yours too, even though you're likely not facing a cancer diagnosis.
Researchers tracked over 1,600 patients with stage III colon cancer for five years. Everyone received standard treatment: surgery, followed by chemotherapy. But the study uncovered a powerful differentiator in who lived longer: Inflammation. Specifically, diet-driven inflammation.
The Study: What You Eat Matters … More Than Anyone Thought.
Using responses to food frequency questionnaires, researchers calculated an empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) score, a validated tool to approximate how inflammatory a given diet is, for each patient. Think of EDIP as a scientific 'inflammatory score' for your plate.
The investigators ranked diets from the most inflammatory to the least, and assessed overall survival outcomes after following patients for many years. They found that patients consuming the most inflammatory diets (in the top 20 percent of the ranking) had an 87 percent higher risk of death than those consuming the least inflammatory diets (in the bottom 20 percent).
Yes, 87%.
A Different Kind of Prescription
While every patient got the same medical treatment, only some had the "anti-inflammatory lifestyle" advantage. Those with the lowest inflammatory diets lived longer, even when adjusted for age, gender, performance status, and aspirin use.
And when a lower-inflammatory diet was combined with regular physical activity, outcomes were even more dramatic: patients had a 63% lower risk of death from any cause.
Let that sink in.
This was not a fringe intervention. It wasn't fasting, detoxing, or taking the latest biohacking supplement. It was shifting everyday choices toward whole, plant-rich, anti-inflammatory foods—leafy greens, coffee, and tea—and away from processed, inflammatory fare like red meat, processed meats, refined grains, and sugar-sweetened beverages.
What This Means for You
Even for those without serious illness, this research has enormous implications.
Inflammation is a central driver in more than just cancer. It's at the root of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, autoimmune disorders, metabolic dysfunction, depression, and even burnout. It doesn't only harm health and longevity, it erodes your day-to-day cognitive and executive performance.
What this study underscores is something we say often at Optimal AF: You are not powerless. Even in the face of serious illness.
Food as Your Advantage
The good news? The same foods that reduce inflammation in someone with cancer also enhances performance, resilience, and long-term health in those without it.
That's what our Inflammation Reset is all about.
Not life-long diet. Not willpower contests. Just real, evidence-based ways to lower the inflammatory load on your body so you heal faster, perform better, and extend your healthspan.
If food can save a life during stage III colon cancer treatment, imagine what it can do for you if you're relatively healthy.
Your body is listening.
Every meal is a message.
What are you saying?
Curious about how inflamed your body might be, and what to do about it?
Explore the Optimal AF Reset and discover the science of personalized anti-inflammatory nutrition.
Don't know where to start, consider our post: Why We Advocated a Food First Approach to Healthcare.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making significant changes to your diet, especially if you have existing health conditions. Read our Full Blog Disclaimer Here
Source: Char, S. et al. Association between empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) and survival in patients with stage III colon cancer: Findings from CALGB/SWOG 80702 (ALLIANCE). Presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, June 1, 2025.
