Colorectal Health

Diet

Maintaining a health diet can help reduce your risk of bowel cancer. Cut back on processed meats and red meats and eat plenty of fibre which is crucial to bowel health and can be found in wholegrains, pulses, vegetables and fruits. Those who eat high-fiber diets are less likely to develop the disease so include plenty of fruit and vegetables as well as healthy fats found in olive oil, salmon and nuts. Information on maintaining a healthy diet is available on the NHS website.

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Exercise

Exercise is beneficial to the body and mind in so many ways.  A healthy body weight can help lower your risk of developing colon cancer, as well as some other types of cancer. Adults aged 19-64 should be aiming to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week, spread evenly over 4 to 5 days a week, or every day.  

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Weight

It is estimated that 11 out of 100 bowel cancers (11%) in the UK are linked to being overweight or obese.  Being overweight or carrying extra pounds around your middle increases your risk of bowel cancer.  Obesity also increases your risk of other serious health conditions including type 2 diabetes,  coronary heart disease and stroke.  Find out more about obesity on the NHS website.

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Alcohol and Smoking

Alcohol and tobacco are toxic chemicals and remain two of the biggest causes of ill health and early death.  Alcohol is linked to seven types of cancer including bowel cancer. If you choose to drink alcohol,  you should do in moderation, spread it out across the week and have alcohol free days.  An estimated 7% of bowel cancer cases in the UK are linked to tobacco smoking and the risk of bowel cancer increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day.  There are numerous help methods available to stop smoking. For advice please refer to the NHS website.

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Screening

NHS bowel cancer screening checks are available to everyone aged 60 to 74 years.  The programme is expanding to make it available to everyone aged 50 to 59 years. This is happening gradually over 4 years and started in April 2021. More information on bowel cancer screening is available on the NHS website.