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Bringing you the best health advice for your family

NHS Choices - Preventing bowel cancer

(26/03/2015)

There are some things that increase your risk of bowel cancer that you can't change, such as your family history or your age.

However, there are several ways you can lower your chances of developing the condition.

Diet

Research suggests that making changes to your diet can help reduce your risk of bowel cancer.

It may help to prevent bowel cancer if you eat:

less cured and processed meat such as bacon, sausages and ham
less red meat (see below) and more fish
more fibre from cereals, beans, fruit and vegetables

The Department of Health advises people who eat more than 90 grams (cooked weight) of red and processed meat a day to cut down to 70 grams to help reduce their bowel cancer risk.

Exercise

There is strong evidence to suggest regular exercise can lower the risk of developing bowel and other cancers.

It is recommended adults exercise for at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as cycling or fast walking) every week.

Healthy weight

Being overweight or obese increases your chances of developing bowel cancer, so you should try to maintain a healthy weight if you want to lower your risk

You can find out if you are a healthy weight by using the healthy weight calculator.

Changes to your diet and an increase in physical activities will help keep your weight under control.

Stop Smoking

If you smoke, stopping can reduce your risk of developing bowel and other cancers.

The free NHS Smoking Helpline can offer advice and encouragement to help you quit smoking. Call 0300 123 1044 or visit the NHS Smokefree website.

Your GP or pharmacist can also provide help, support and advice if you want to give up smoking.

Cut down on alcohol

Drinking alcohol has been linked to an increased risk of developing bowel cancer, so you may be able to reduce your risk by cutting down on the amount of alcohol you drink.

The current recommendations concerning alcohol are:

men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day
women should not regularly drink more than 2-3 units a day
if you've had a heavy drinking session, avoid alcohol for 48 hours

Read more about alcohol units and tips on cutting down.

Bowel cancer screening

Although screening cannot stop you getting bowel cancer, it can allow the condition to be detected at an earlier stage, when it is much easier to treat.

As well as making lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of bowel cancer and keeping an eye out for possible symptoms of bowel cancer, participating in bowel cancer screening when it is offered can help reduce your chances of dying from bowel cancer.

In England, NHS bowel cancer screening is currently offered to everyone aged 60 to 74 who is registered with a GP.

Health Advice