Intestinal polyps are superfluous organisms formed by excessive proliferation of intestinal mucosa and are classified into adenomatous polyps, malignant polyps, inflammatory and hyperplastic polyps according to the pathology. The detection rate of intestinal polyps by colonoscopy is 10%-20%, among which the incidence of adenomatous polyps accounts for about 70%. Adenomatous polyps are a kind of precancerous lesion and have a close relationship with the occurrence of intestinal cancer. Why do polyps occur in the intestine and what are the preventive measures? First of all, the causes of intestinal polyps 1, genetic factors: the occurrence of certain polyposis is related to genetics, it is generally believed that the formation of intestinal polyps and genetic mutations and genetic factors are closely related, the most common is familial adenomatous polyposis, classic patients from the teenage years began to grow polyps, there are thousands of polyps inside the intestine, if not treated, 100% of these polyps will become cancerous. When one member of the family has adenomatous polyps, the likelihood of other members developing colorectal polyps is significantly higher, especially in familial polyposis which has a clear familial predisposition. This intestinal polyps can not be prevented, only early detection and early treatment. 2, bad living and eating habits: smoking and adenomatous polyps are closely related, smoking history within 20 years mostly occurs in small adenomas, while smoking history in more than 20 years mostly accompanied by large adenomas. High-fat, high-protein (especially red meat), low-fiber diet is prone to colon polyps, the fatty component of the diet is more than 40% is an important factor in the formation of intestinal polyps, if fat intake does not exceed 15% of the diet, the incidence of intestinal polyps is low. 3, intestinal infections: intestinal infections may be caused by bacteria, viruses, parasitic infections, general inflammatory polyps and chronic inflammation of the intestine, the occurrence of adenomatous polyps may be related to viral infections. Chronic inflammatory lesions of the colonic mucosa is the main cause of inflammatory polyps, most often seen in chronic ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and amebic dysentery, intestinal schistosomiasis and intestinal tuberculosis, etc., also seen in the anastomotic site after colon surgery. 4, vitamin and mineral deficiencies: deficiencies of calcium, vitamin D, and folic acid are also risk factors that promote polyps. 5, metabolic abnormalities: metabolic abnormalities include: overweight, obesity (especially abdominal obesity), hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver, and metabolic syndrome. These metabolic abnormalities can cause hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, increased levels of insulin growth factor, etc., which in turn will affect the production of intestinal polyps by increasing cell proliferation and reducing apoptosis. 6, intestinal flora dysbiosis: under normal conditions, the intestinal microecology remains in balance. If probiotics decrease and pathogenic bacteria increase, it may lead to chronic inflammation of the colonic mucosa, followed by colonic polyps. 7, fecal and mechanical damage: fecal crud and foreign bodies long-term stimulation of intestinal mucosa epithelium, as well as other causes of rectal mucosal damage, so that the cells appear abnormal proliferation, the formation of polyps. Constipation can prolong the time of carcinogenic substances in the intestine. If constipated people use laxatives indiscriminately, most of them contain anthraquinones, which enhance cell proliferation activity and inhibit apoptosis, and also mutate DNA, which eventually cause intestinal polyps. What are the measures to prevent intestinal polyps? A, drug prevention 1, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: the most clinically studied and most used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the rule of taking aspirin can reduce the occurrence of polyps, recurrence, reduce the rate of polyps cancer. A study in the United States found that the incidence of adenomatous intestinal polyps decreased by 27% and proliferative polyps decreased by 8% when 100mg was taken orally daily for two years, and in another study, the recurrence rate of polyps decreased by 60% one year after intestinal polypectomy using the same method. Sulindac is the first non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used clinically in China for the treatment of familial adenomatous polyposis, which can slow down the growth of polyps and reduce the chance of cancer, thus reducing the rate of colon resection. Celecoxib is a new type of NSAID that is more commonly used in clinical practice because of its relatively mild GI side effects. It has been shown to prevent the formation of intestinal polyps in mice in animal trials. Long-term use is more expensive, there are still certain drug reactions. 2, metformin: is the basic drug for the treatment of diabetes, the current study found that the prevention of intestinal polyps have a certain role. A study of 51991 cases found that the drug does not reduce the incidence of intestinal polyps in diabetic patients, but can reduce the risk of intestinal polyps cancer 49%. A study in Japan for 498 cases of intestinal polyps resection recurrence study found that a low dose of 250 mg per day orally for one year, the recurrence rate of 38% for colonoscopy, 56% for those who did not use the drug, the drug is easy to obtain, inexpensive, small side effects, easy to carry out more cases of clinical research, can be expected to become a recurrence prevention drug after intestinal polypectomy. 3, allopurinol: is a common drug for the treatment of gout, a recent study on the pathogenesis of intestinal polyps found that the oxidative activity of inflammatory factor NF-kb in intestinal polyp tissue decreased significantly after taking 100-300mg orally every day, suggesting that the drug has the clinical value of potential prevention and treatment of polyps. The drug has the characteristics of easy to obtain, inexpensive, and small side effects for long-term application. 4, calcium and vitamin D: animal studies found that lack of calcium led to excessive growth of colon cells; clinical studies found that daily calcium supplementation of 1200 mg reduced the risk of intestinal hyperplastic polyps by 14%-35% and reduced the recurrence of polyps, but could increase the risk of serrated polyps. It is generally accepted that calcium intake from the diet is beneficial and safe for the prevention of intestinal polyp formation. 5, plant extracts: curcumin extracted from the Chinese herbal medicine turmeric curcumin, medical has hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, choleretic and other effects. A study on familial polyposis found that after six months of being given 480mg of curcumin daily, along with 20mg of quercetin, the number of polyps was reduced by 60% and polyps were reduced by half. A variety of other plant extracts such as popcornin, doobacin and radiciciclovir have some efficacy in preventing intestinal polyps, which is promising to become a pioneering area for future clinical preventive drugs against intestinal polyps. Second, dietary prevention 1, eat less high-fat, high-protein food: red meat (pork, beef, lamb, etc.) contains ferrous hemoglobin, nitrites that make the meat more red, and heterocyclic amine mixture produced by high-temperature cooking, which can stimulate the occurrence of intestinal polyps and colorectal cancer. Meat contains too much saturated fatty acids, and excessive intake stimulates the body to produce too much bile, which stays in the large intestine and is converted into a carcinogenic substance, valeric acid. Saturated fat contains more arachidonic acid, which can promote the abnormal growth of intestinal epithelium into polyps and even cancer. 2, eat more dietary fiber: dietary fiber is not absorbed by human body, and after entering the large intestine, it promotes intestinal peristalsis and reduces the residence time of food and potential carcinogens in the intestine. Foods rich in dietary fiber include coarse grains, such as millet, corn, barley, oats, buckwheat. There are also some vegetables and fruits, such as celery, leeks, spinach, cabbage, apples, bananas, oranges, peaches and so on. 3, eat more food rich in vitamins and minerals: vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals, such as spinach, green peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, red bell peppers, carrots, pumpkin, yellow peppers, purple kale, avocados, mangoes, oranges, etc. Change lifestyle habits 1. Quit smoking and limit alcohol: smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can increase the risk of colon polyps and colon cancer. Women should not drink more than 150ml of wine, or 360ml of beer, or 40ml of white wine per day, while men should not drink more than twice as much as women. If you have a family history of colon cancer, it is especially important to reduce smoking and alcohol consumption to reduce the risk of developing it. 2. Increase physical activity: It is recommended to exercise for at least 30 minutes five times a week. If you can do 45 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every day, it will be more effective in reducing the risk of intestinal polyps. Treatment of intestinal diseases Intestinal infections and dysbiosis of intestinal flora are closely related to the occurrence of intestinal polyps. Therefore, chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract should be actively treated, while avoiding the long-term use of broad-spectrum antibiotics to reduce the occurrence of dysbiosis, you can properly apply probiotics such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli to provide nutrition for the intestine, produce acetic acid and lactic acid, acidify the intestine, inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms, and provide a healthy environment for the growth of intestinal cells, which can reduce the possibility of intestinal cells transforming into polyps and cancer, and prevent the the occurrence of intestinal polyps.