BOWEL cancer is the second deadliest form of cancer – but you can help reduce your risk of getting it with your weekly shop.
A new study reveals that our cupboard staples could be a key determinant.
What you eat day-to-day can influence your bowel cancer risk, among other things
It found that people diagnosed with bowel cancer were more likely to have had a diet of ultra-processed foods, such as biscuits, sweets, instant soups and noodles.
Ultra-processed foods contain ingredients you wouldn’t find on supermarket shelves, and are unlikely to be able to pronounce.
Ready meals, sugary drinks, sausages and other meats can fall into this category.
Academics in the US examined data taken from three major long-term health studies involving more than 46,000 men and almost 160,000 women.
Participants were tracked for two to three decades, during which time some 3,200 cases of bowel cancer were identified.
Men who ate the most ultra-processed foods were 29 per cent more likely to have developed bowel cancer compared to those who ate the least.
When researchers looked at sub-groups of ultra processed food, women fared badly with ready meals, particularly those with meat, poultry or seafood.
Ready meals raised the odds of bowel cancer by 17 per cent between women who ate the highest and lowest amount.
Sugary drinks increased bowel cancer risk by 21 per cent in men.
The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, add to a body of evidence that diet influences bowel cancer risk, among genetics, age and lifestyle habits.
Researchers said that ultra-processed foods make up 57 per cent of total daily calories consumed by American adults.
However, Dr Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian and senior teaching fellow, Aston University, noted the foods eaten 30 years ago – when participants were quizzed – are different to the foods eaten now.
She added it is already known that sugary drinks and processed meats are potential risk factors for bowel cancer.
Meanwhile, a separate study published in the same journal found that Italians who ate the most processed foods were more likely to die early.
Researchers examined data on almost 23,000 participants, 2,205 of whom died during the follow-up period.
In an accompanying editorial, Brazilian researchers described most ultra-processed foods as “energy-dense products, high in fat, sugar, and salt, and poor in fibre and micronutrients”.
It may not be entirely obvious that a product is highly processed.
For example, breakfast cereals, pizzas or breads are a common feature of many people’s diets, and not always considered “junk food”.
Dr Mellor said: “There is a lot of interest in the concept of ultra-processed foods.
“However it is not clear if looking at ‘ultra-processed food’ as a definition is any better than looking at established dietary factors associated with chronic disease and risk of early death including higher intakes of added fat, salt and sugar and lower intakes of vegetables, fruit, wholegrains and legumes.”
Bowel cancer is where the disease starts in the large intestines – it’s also referred to as colon or colorectal cancer, because it can also affect the colon and rectum.
Nearly 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK each year and 16,500 die from it.
Trending In The News launched the No Time 2 Lose campaign in April 2018 – to call on the Government to lower the screening age to 50 and raise symptom awareness.
