Almost every person in the UK fails to eat enough fibre—a key factor in rising bowel cancer risk in young people—a concerned surgeon has said today.
Under NHS guidance, adults should consume at least 30g of fibre a day.
But according to Mr Haney Youssef, a colorectal surgeon at The Harborne Hospital, Birmingham, most adults in the UK are consistently falling well below this target, increasing the risk of the deadly disease.
He said: ‘Research consistently shows that people who consume adequate fibre have significantly lower rates of colorectal cancer.
‘But most adults in the UK are consuming as little as 18-20g of fibre daily—this gap is particularly concerning given the rising rates of bowel cancer in younger people.’
According to Bowel Cancer UK, a lack of fibre—the indigestible parts of plants that aid digestion—is behind an alarming 28 per cent of all cases in the UK.
The doctor suggests adding fibre-rich foods such as wholegrain oats, fruits and vegetables and nuts and seeds to every meal to boost fibre intake and ward off the disease.
He said: ‘Think of fibre as nature’s internal cleansing system: it helps sweep away waste products while feeding the good bacteria that keep our bowel environment healthy.’
Research has consistently found that fibre could help protect against bowel cancer – with figures suggesting that more than a quarter of all cases are caused by a lack of roughage
Fibre is a type of carbohydrate in plants, but unlike sugar and starch it isn’t absorbed by the body. Instead, it keeps the gut healthy and functioning properly.
‘Fibre helps maintain regular bowel movements, reducing the time potential toxins spend in contact with the bowel wall.
‘This is crucial because prolonged contact with harmful substances can damage the delicate lining of our colon and rectum,’ Mr Youssef explained.
‘Secondly, when beneficial bacteria in our gut ferment fibre, they produce short-chain fatty acids like butyrate.
‘These compounds actually nourish the cells lining our bowel and have anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent the cellular changes that can lead to cancer,’ the expert continued.
Research published earlier this year also suggested that fibre could help protected against E.coli—a harmful foodborne infection that damages the gut has been blamed for the steep rise in cases.
Dr Alasdair Scott, a gut specialist and science director at Selph—a health-testing firm —told the Daily Mail high fibre intake is one of the few ways to counteract harmful E.coli in the gut.
‘There’s not much people can do if the E.coli bacteria does contribute to early onset colon cancer,’ he says. ‘But we do know that a high-fibre diet can protect against the type of mutation that causes tumours to develop
Mr Haney Youssef, colorectal surgeon at the The Harborne Hospital, in Birmingham
According to Mr Youssef, boosting fibre intake can be as simple as adding a nuts and berries to your porridge, providing a third of the daily recommended allowance in just one meal.
He added: ‘The key is making gradual increases to allow your digestive system to adapt comfortably.’
In response to growing concerns that an unpleasant odour accompanying bowel movements could be a red flag warning sign of cancer, Mr Youssef said the majority of unusual bowel smells are not cancer-related.
He said: ‘A “rotting meat” smell in your stools is unlikely to be caused by cancer.
‘The majority of unpleasant bowel odours are caused by infections, dietary changes or food intolerances.
‘That said, in cases where bowel cancer is present, cancerous tumours can cause tissue to die off which can produce an unpleasant smell that could be described as resembling rotting flesh,’ he added.
However the bowel surgeon urged people to contact their GP if they are concerned about persistent changes in bowel habits that do not go away after a few weeks.
‘It could be a sign of infection and if there is an underlying issue, catching it early gives the best chance of successful treatment,’ he warned.
Other common symptoms of the disease include persistent changes in bowel movements such as diarrhoea or constipation, needing or feeling the need to empty your bowels more or less frequently, blood in the stool, abdominal pain, unexplained weight-loss and fatigue.
However, bowel cancer can also appear with no symptoms until it has spread, where it becomes harder to treat.
Bowel cancer is on the rise in younger adults, defined in cancer terms as those under 50.
A recent global study found rates of bowel cancer in under 50 year-olds are rising in 27 of 50 nations.
While the disease is known to be linked to obesity, experts have noted the disease is increasingly affecting otherwise fit and healthy patients.
Some experts believe the explanation must lie in environmental factors young people have been exposed to more than previous generations.
While no ‘smoking gun’ has been found, there are multiple theories including modern chemicals in diets, microplastics, and pollution.
Around 44,000 cases of bowel cancer are diagnosed every year in the UK, with about 130,000 in the US.
The disease kills almost 17,000 Britons each year, with the death toll rising to about 50,000 in America.
Overall, just over half of bowel cancer patients are expected to be alive 10 years after their diagnosis.
Cancer Research UK estimates that more than half—54 per cent—of bowel cancer cases are preventable.
