Low-carbohydrate diets may increase the risk of people suffering bowel cancer, scientists have claimed.

Researchers said they had discovered a link between consuming carbohydrate and the production of a fatty acid in the gut that protects against colorectal cancer. The acid, called butyrate, is produced by bacteria and helps kill off cancerous cells. The researchers said they found low-carbohydrate regimes could cause a four-fold reduction in the cancer-fighting bacteria.

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