Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the UK.
Symptoms can include persistent blood in the stools, changes in bowel habits and persistent abdominal pain.
According to the NHS, it’s not exactly known what causes bowel cancer, but there are a number of things that can increase the risk.
One lifestyle habit that can raise the risk of bowel cancer is eating a diet high in red or processed meats.
Red meat includes beef, lamb and pork. It is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, and can form part of a balanced diet.
However, eating too much of it can increase the risk of developing bowel cancer.
Processed meat refers to meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing salting or adding preservatives.
It includes sausages, bacon, ham, deli meats like salami, pâtés, canned meat such as corned beef, and sliced luncheon meats such as those made from chicken and turkey.
But how do you know how much red and processed meat is too much?
UK health guidelines advise eating an average of no more than 70g of red and processed meat per day, for adults.
“If you eat more than 90g of red or processed meat a day, it's recommended that you reduce your intake to 70g a day,” said the NHS.
“If you eat more than 90g of red and processed meat on a certain day, you can eat less on the following days or have meat-free days so that the average amount you eat each day is no more than 70g.”
To put the weight of red and processed meats into perspective, 90g equates to three thin-cut slices of roast lamb, beef or pork, each about the size of half a slice of bread.
A grilled 8oz beef steak equates to 163g, while a 5oz rump steak equates to 102g.
A cooked breakfast including two standard size sausages and two thin-cut rashers of bacon equates to 130g.
A large donor kebab weighs around 130g, a quarter-pounder burger around 78g, a thin slice of corned beef is around 38g, a slice of black pudding is 30g and a slice of ham equates to 23g.
The NHS recommends eating smaller portions in order to cut down on red and processed meat, and eating them less often.
Ham or beef sandwiches could be replaced with chicken, steak pies could be swapped with chicken pies, and quarter-pounder burgers could be switched with standard hamburgers or chicken burgers.
“You could also swap lamb or beef mince for turkey or vegetarian mince in your spaghetti bolognese, lasagne and chilli con carne,” said the NHS.
“Try to have a meat-free day each week. Swap red or processed meat for fish or shellfish, or have a vegetarian meal.”
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