An affordable drug ceaselessly promoted by way of podcaster and health enthusiast Joe Rogan may decrease the danger of colon most cancers.
A brand new learn about discovered metformin – a 20-cent tablet used to regulate sort 2 diabetes – lower the danger of creating the fatal illness by way of as much as 13 %.
Israeli researchers tracked 31,000 who took metformin for as much as 5 years.
In the tip, sufferers who took the drug for 3 to 5 years had a 13 % decrease possibility of creating colon most cancers within the a part of the colon maximum vulnerable to tumors. Taking the drug for one to 3 years used to be related to a 10 % decline in possibility.
Participants have been from the Veterans Affairs database, and maximum have been over 50 years outdated, however researchers mentioned their effects prompt metformin may doubtlessly be used to assist save you colon most cancers for wider teams.
Uncontrolled diabetes is a possibility issue for the illness, so treating it normally might decrease most cancers possibility, however the use of metformin might supply further advantages, as earlier analysis has proven the drug has been related to slowed growing older and lowered mortality.
Popular podcaster Joe Rogan, 57, who hasn’t printed if he’s taking the drug himself, ceaselessly talks concerning the drugs on his podcast, with knowledgeable visitors touting its possible longevity advantages.
One visitor, Harvard anti-aging scientist Dr David Sinclair claimed it would assist to sluggish growing older – and in an interview with Dr Sinclair in 2019, Rogan mentioned: ‘I were given to discover a quack that is keen to prescribe me metformin.’
A learn about means that metformin, which Joe Rogan has discussed again and again on his common podcast, may assist to cut back the danger of colon most cancers at the left facet of the colon

Metformin has been authorized for sort 2 diabetics however is prescribed off label for a spread of illnesses. Researchers also are taking a look at whether or not it may well be used to battle growing older
The learn about used to be printed at ASCO 2025, the arena’s greatest most cancers convention going down this week in Chicago, Illinois.
While promising, scientists in the back of the paper didn’t supply an evidence as to why the drug is also protecting and mentioned their effects had to be showed with extra analysis.
Metformin is a prescription-only drugs authorized for sort 2 diabetics to assist them regulate blood sugar ranges, with sufferers taking about two drugs in line with day – from time to time priced at as low as 20 cents a tablet. It is estimated that over 19 million Americans are prescribed it every yr.
But additionally it is prescribed off-label for a variety of different stipulations, together with prediabetes and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, a situation during which girls revel in cysts on their ovaries.
Scientists from The Jusidman Cancer Center in Israel analyzed knowledge on sufferers within the Veterans Affairs database from 1999 to 2020.
They recruited sufferers on metformin and coupled them to sufferers with an identical traits now not on metformin.
These tended to be much less wholesome sufferers, which raises the danger of a colon most cancers prognosis or comorbidity.
In the metformin team, nearly all of sufferers had used the substance for a minimum of 5 years.
Overall, knowledge used to be to be had at the location of the tumor for greater than 113,000 sufferers within the learn about.
Of those, 13,691 have been within the metformin team – together with 9,588 (70 %) who advanced colon most cancers at the left facet of the colon.
Approximately 100,000 other folks have been within the non-metformin team – together with 95,000 (95 %) who advanced the most cancers at the left facet in their colon.

Colon most cancers is more and more hanging younger other folks. Bailey Hutchins of Tennessee (pictured), died of colon most cancers at 26 years outdated
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The researchers paintings used to be revealed as an summary by way of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and has now not been made absolutely to be had or peer reviewed.
However, up to now revealed paintings has discovered an identical advantages.
A learn about from 2019 discovered metformin used to be related to an 8 % aid in colorectal most cancers. By location, it used to be related to a 14 % aid within the possibility of most cancers within the rectum.
A 2024 learn about regarded on the expression of HCT116 cells – the ones present in colon most cancers sufferers. When those cells develop abnormally, it contributes to tumor development, however metformin altered the expression of those cells.
Results confirmed the medicine upregulated genes that can suppress the expansion and unfold of colorectal most cancers cells.
Another 2024 learn about discovered metformin use used to be related to ‘considerably decrease’ colon most cancers possibility in each the colon and rectum – a couple of 30 % decline in possibility.
And an greater protecting impact used to be seen in white other folks and the ones with weight problems.
Researchers concluded metformin’s advantages ‘most likely generalizes to populations with upper underlying possibility.’