Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK and each year there are over 40,000 new cases. Around one in two cases, however, are preventable, meaning that they are caused by lifestyle factors.
Here are eight ways you can reduce your chances of developing bowel cancer.
Eat a healthy diet high in fibre
A healthy diet is made up of:
- At least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day
- Carbohydrates that are high in fibre, such as brown bread, brown pasta or whole grain cereal
- A source of protein, such as eggs, fish, tofu or dairy products
- A small amount of unsaturated fat, such as olive oil
Eating plenty of fibre helps food move through your digestive system, which reduces the chances of inflammation in your bowel. Inflammation is linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer.
An average adult should eat at least 30g of fibre each day. Two slices of wholemeal bread contain about 5.5g of fibre and a bowl of porridge has about 4g.
Eat less red and processed meat
There is strong evidence that eating too much red and processed meat increases your chances of developing bowel cancer. The NHS recommends eating no more than 70g per day.
Red meat includes beef, pork, lamb, mutton, veal and venison. Processed meat means meat that has been cured, salted or had preservatives added — this includes sausages, bacon, ham, salami and canned meat.
Keep active and exercise
Being active and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle reduces your chances of developing bowel cancer.
You should try to be active every day and perform at least 150 minutes of exercise at a moderate intensity per week.
Keep an eye on your weight
About one in 10 cases of bowel cancer in the UK are linked to people being overweight. You can roughly work out what a healthy body weight is for your height using a body mass index (BMI) calculator. Typically, a BMI score of over 25 means that you should try to lose some weight.
Limit alcohol
Drinking alcohol is linked to bowel cancer and six other types of cancer. If you do drink, you should not drink more than 14 units each week. It's also advisable to have two or three drink-free days each week.
Give up smoking
Smoking is a risk factor in a number of serious diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and several cancers. Around seven in every 100 bowel cancer cases in the UK are linked to smoking and your risk increases the more you smoke.
Look into your family history
If you have a close family member (such as a parent, sibling, or child) who has been diagnosed with bowel cancer, your chances of developing it are higher.
The risk further increases if you have a close family member diagnosed with it at a young age (under 45) or if you have more than one close family member diagnosed with it.
If you’re in a higher risk group, get screened
Higher risk groups for bowel cancer include people aged over 65 and people who have a family history of bowel cancer.
Screening for bowel cancer involves either a stool test or scope test, where a flexible tube with a light and a camera on the end is carefully passed through your bowel.
