A POPULAR drink ‘doubles’ the risk of bowel cancer in adults who have more than two per day, a study has found.
It is the second deadliest form of the disease in the UK – and those guzzling certain beverages could be putting themselves in danger of developing the condition.
Around 43,000 Brits get the disease every year, making it one of the most common tumour types
Bowel cancer, which kills 16,000 Brits a year, starts in the large intestines and it mostly develops from pre-cancerous growths, called polyps.
Not all will turn cancerous, but if your doctor finds any, they will tend to remove them to prevent cancer.
But, if caught early it can be cured – and leading a healthy lifestyle can make a huge difference on your chances of getting it.
Research published in the journal Gut revealed a link between sugar-sweetened drinks and the deadly disease.
It found adults, especially women, supping on two or more to quench their thirst each day are “doubling” the risk of bowel cancer before the age of 50.
Soft drinks, fruit flavoured drinks and sports and energy drinks all pose a significant threat, the study found.
But what have other studies said about lowering bowel cancer risk?
In November 2022, experts revealed that eating a healthy veggie diet could slash your bowel cancer risk by a fifth – but only if you’re a man.
Around 43,000 Brits get the disease every year, making it one of the most common tumour types.
Half of cases could be avoided with better health, say experts, with swapping meat for vegetables and grains an easy win.
Scientists at Kyung Hee University in South Korea found colorectal cancer was 22 per cent less likely in men who ate the most fruit and veg, compared to those eating the least.
Cancer Research UK estimates 54 per cent of bowel cancer cases – 23,000 per year – could be prevented by healthier lifestyles.
Another paper, published in 2020, found that foods high in folate, magnesium and dairy products could all help stave off the second deadliest cancer.
The researchers combed through data and reviews of the cancer, as well as clinical and observational studies that assessed the impact of diet and medicinal factors when it comes to developing bowel cancer.
The medicinal factors included: aspirin; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as paracetamol; and statins.
Looking at the dietary factors and this included vitamins or supplements (magnesium, calcium, folic acid, vitamin A, B, C, E, D, β-carotene and selenium); coffee; tea; fish and omega 3 fatty acids; dairy products; fibre; fruit and vegetables; meat; and alcohol.
In 2018, experts found that everyday medications like supplements and aspirin could help protect against bowel cancer.
“The seAFOod Trial demonstrates that both aspirin and EPA have preventative effects, which is particularly exciting given that they are both relatively cheap and safe compounds to give to patients,” said the study’s lead author, Prof. Mark Hull, from the University of Leeds.
“Given this new evidence, clinicians need to consider these agents for patients at elevated risk of bowel cancer, alongside regular colonoscopy surveillance.”
In 2019, at the First Hospital of China Medical University found eating just 44g of allium vegetables each day can reduce the risk of developing the killer disease.
