Ask Dr Miriam

QI’m worried about bowel cancer. I know it’s quite common and I was wondering if there’s a anything I can do to lower my risk of getting it.

AThere are lots of things you can do. Around half the cases of bowel cancer in the UK each year could be prevented by lifestyle changes.

So keep a healthy weight and don’t smoke. If you do smoke it’s never too late to stop. Boost the amount of fibre in your diet by eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Choose wholegrain bread, cereals, rice and pasta. Do at least 2.5 hours of physical activity a week even just doing 10 minutes at a time. The more active you are the more you cut your risk. Eat smaller and fewer portions of red and processed meat and cut down on alcohol. Stick within guidelines, no more than one standard drink a day for women and two standard drinks for men, but the less you drink the lower your risk.