Bowel cancer describes cancer that begins in the large bowel. Depending on its location, it can be also called colon or rectal cancer. This type is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in the UK, according to the NHS. And a certain food could be raising your risk.
During a health segment on This Morning about how to keep the gut healthy, Dr Ellie addressed how going part-time vegan could benefit the gut and cut your risk of cancer.
She warned that red and processed meat could increase the risk of developing bowel cancer.
“If you’re cutting down on meat, first of all, you are cutting down on saturated fat,” she explained.
Saturated fat can raise your levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol which in return boosts your risk of heart disease and stroke, the NHS notes.
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But that isn’t the only benefit of ditching meat the doctor shared.
Dr Ellie said: “People who have a very high intake of red and processed meat are more prone to bowel disease, particularly bowel cancer.
“But you have to be really extreme in your intake to be at that level.”
Dr Ellie isn’t the only expert linking red and processed meat to serious health problems. A number of studies have found eating this type of food can increase cancer risk.
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Dr Ellie suggested that if you were to pick one new year’s resolution, incorporating more fibre into your diet is the right one.
The doctor added what foods contain fibre: “That’s a lot of fruit and veg, swapping white foods like white pasta, white bread, white rice for brown versions of those.
“Because the husk, or the skin on fruit, and all those sorts of things, are the fibre you need.”
So, implementing more plant-based foods in your diet in the place of meat could help to cut your risk of bowel cancer and tackle constipation at the same time.