Bowel cancer diet link
Monday, 31 Mar 2008 11:32
Eating lots of sausages could increase people's bowel cancer risk
More people need to become aware of the link between diet and bowel cancer risk, experts have warned.
Research has shown that people who regularly eat processed meat have an increased risk of the cancer.
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK after breast and lung, with around 36,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
It is estimated that if people eat 50g of processed meat a day then their bowel cancer risk is increased by 20 per cent.
Despite the diet link, studies have found that only 30 per cent of Britons are aware that eating processed meat increases bowel cancer risk.
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) says there is "convincing" evidence that red meat such as beef and pork is a cause of bowel cancer.
But it adds that red meat is also a valuable source of nutrients and therefore recommends that people should aim to eat less than 500g (cooked weight) of red meat a week.
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