A nutritionist has revealed two key food items that could lower your risk of developing bowel cancer.
Karis Betts, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, said that adding more beans and pulses into your diet is vital.
This includes the likes of black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, cannelloni beans, lentils and chickpeas.
All of these food items are crucial sources of protein and fibre while being low in fat.
While Karis has advised on the food stuffs we should consume more in our diets, she has also revealed one that could increase our risk of developing cancer.
“One of the biggest sources of dietary protein is meat and fish. While it can make up an important part of the diet, too much processed and red meat increases the risk of developing bowel cancer”, she said.
“If you’re eating a lot of processes meat, you can swap to fresh chicken or fish, or wonderful beans and pulses. It’s a win-win! You’re cutting down on processed meat and fat, and upping your fibre at the same time.
“Having a diet that’s high in fibre has a lot of health benefits including reducing the risk of cancer.”
She added: “Pulses come tinned or dried so they’re easy to store and you don’t need to worry about using them up quickly before they go off, they’re cheaper than most meat products and they’re super easy to fit into your diet with a few simple swaps."
Research from Cancer Research UK has revealed that nine in 10 people in the UK are not meeting their recommended amount of 30g of fibre per day.
Other food that are high in fibre include wholegrains (such as brown rice and wholegrain bread), fruit and vegetables.
A spokesperson said: “Fibre helps us to poo more often, increased the size of poos and dilutes their contents. This means harmful chemicals spend less time in the bowel.
“When fibre meets the bacteria in the bowel, the bacteria makes something called butyrate.
“Butyrate helps cells in our bowel stay health, so that tumours are less likely to develop.”
Nutritionist Karis has also recommended a string of swaps people could make to increase the amount of beans and pulses they consume as part of their meals.
“One easy meal to cook up for family and friends is a big pot of bean chilli. It’s a comforting mix of black beans and kidney beans, along with onions, garlic, chillies, plenty of paprika and cayenne pepper, sweetcorn, sweet peppers and a tin of tomatoes.
Bean stew is a great meal to make in a hurry. You can use whatever beans might be lurking in your cupboard and whatever veggies are in the fridge, with tin of tomatoes and lots of garlic. Use seasoning to make it your own, as smoky or spicy as you like.
Other swaps include:
- Bolognese: Ditch all or half the mince for lentils. Most varieties work. Dried red lentils are a great staple or, if you’re in a rush, tinned green lentils work just as well. Try adding a small amount of marmite if you’re missing that savoury flavour from meat.
- Chilli: As well as adding more beans to your chilli, a sneaky tip to bulk up mince dishes is to grate in a carrot or two. It soaks up all the flavour, makes your meal go further and you’ve hidden some extra veggies in dinner for fussy kids!
- Curries and stews: Chickpeas are a great addition in curries and stews or as the main event instead of meat.
