Since June is Men’s Health Month, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the importance of gut health for men, particularly when it comes to awareness around one of the leading types of cancer for men: colon cancer. Gut health matters for both men and women, however, since colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancers among men, we all need to be more mindful of what we can do to support the men in our lives to help prevent a diagnosis as much as possible.
Important Things to Know about Colon Cancer for Men:
In 2024, the American Cancer Society announced colon cancer as the leading cause of cancer death among men under the age of 50. Cancer screenings for both men and women have also been lowered from 50 to 45 years of age as a result, unless one has a family history and qualifies before then. However, many people delay their first ability to get a colonoscopy and may put it off for years. Don’t make this mistake, because colon cancer can begin years before it’s ever detected, and many people never experience symptoms until late stages of the disease. This is why awareness, early detection, and prevention are all key for the best outcome.
Many things can cause colon cancer or be a risk factor, whether it’s a family history, a poor diet and lifestyle, other health issues, and/or environmental factors such as exposure to toxic chemicals and environmental pollutants. However, it’s important to be mindful of our daily diets and lifestyle choices to make sure we are doing everything possible to optimize our gut health, especially when it comes to preventing cancers of any kind.
Here are five simple gut health tips to share with anyone in your life, but especially any men you know who might need a little nudge or reminder.
5 Gut-Health Tips for a Healthy Life
1. Eat a High-Fiber Diet From Natural Plant Foods: Fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, peas, lentils, and nuts and seeds are all rich in naturally-occurring fiber. Fiber feeds good gut microbes and helps them flourish. If we don’t feed our microbes the right food, they can’t survive, so aim to eat a variety of whole plant foods daily since they contain the most optimal, natural form of fiber for a healthy gut. Whole plant foods contain both soluble and insoluble fiber that are both vital to colon health and each plays a part in keeping the digestive system healthy. Fiber also sweeps out toxins from the body that we all encounter on a regular basis, and it supports other functions in the body such as healthy blood sugar levels, a healthy heart, weight, and more. Certain fibers that contain prebiotics also support your mind and mental health due to how they feed the gut microbiome. Learn more about prebiotics and probiotics here.
2. Add Fermented Foods to Your Diet Every Single Day. Eating fermented foods is more than a trend. The friendly microbes in foods like probiotic-rich Lifeway Kefir and Lifeway Farmer Cheese all contain gut-friendly cultures that nourish and protect. In February of 2025, a new groundbreaking study published in Gut Microbes that showed consuming two or more servings of probiotic yogurt a week helped prevent colon cancer due to the good bacteria it contains. Lifeway Kefir contains billions more probiotics than those found in yogurt making it an excellent choice to add to your daily diet to protect your gut when consumed in a health-promoting diet. Need tips? See our recent post here for recipes and ideas—it couldn’t be easier!
Low levels of calcium and vitamin D are another risk factor for colon cancer, and Lifeway Kefir is an excellent source of both of these important nutrients making it an incredible food to consume on a daily basis for optimal gut health.
Additionally, Lifeway Kefir and Lifeway Farmer Cheese are also both excellent sources of gut-healthy protein for men. Protein is vital for both men and women, but choosing the healthiest types of protein is even more important. Prioritizing bioavailable sources of protein that the body can easily assimilate and put to good use is important, and cultured dairy is one of the best types to eat.
3. Speaking of Protein, Avoid the Fried and Highly-Processed Kinds. If you grew up loving fried chicken and other fried meats, you’re not alone. However, when it comes to optimal gut health, fried foods of any kind, especially fried meats and highly-processed meats (like deli meats with nitrates), are two of the worst foods to consume for colon health. If you love meat, no problem. Just aim to balance out your intake and use healthy cooking methods that don’t involve frying it, especially in unhealthy cooking oils. Eat more lean meats, grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish, pasture-raised eggs, and cultured dairy for proteins. Add in plant-based sources like beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds if you do eat animal proteins regularly so you have a balanced protein intake. Need recipes? We’ve got plenty.
4. Get Regular Physical Activity. Even daily steps count for this one! Remember, when you move, your gut moves. Regular movement doesn’t just keep you regular; it also trains your gut to develop a rhythm of movement. Our gut is a muscle, so we can’t expect it to move properly if we don’t. Make a daily step count goal, and wear a smart watch or step counter to hold yourself accountable. While you’re at it, make it a game. Give yourself an incentive if you hit your daily step goal seven days in a row. Each week, change the incentive prize so you don’t get bored. You can even consider making a list of rewards to give yourself when you hit your step goal so you stay inspired. Outside of walking, if you enjoy other forms of activity, fit them in. All acts of daily movement add up and help lower your risk for colon cancer.
5. Don’t Smoke, Quit if You Do, and While You’re at it, Hold the Drinks. Alcohol and smoking are two of the worst things for colon cancer risks—and all other cancer risks. We all know this, but it bears repeating here. If you have a habit or daily routine around these things, do your best to put something else in their place. When you would normally drink or smoke, find another outlet or use a healthy habit in place of drinking or smoking. Our Probiotic Ace Mocktail is a fun alcohol-free option to try if you want something refreshing at happy hour without the booze. If you need help quitting either smoking or drinking, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. It could just save your life.
All of us have men in our lives that matter, whether you are one or you have some you care about. So while colon health can be a taboo topic to talk about, doing so can help save lives. Find a way to share information about the risks for colon cancer with those you know, whether you send someone an article, social media post, or want to share this post with them. You can also visit The American Cancer Society here to learn more about colorectal cancer and its risk factors.
And remember, if you ever need support from us at Lifeway, we’re here to help you #LoveYourGuts all year round. Follow us on social media to stay up to date with all our latest news and recipes.