The Institute for Optimum Nutrition

This April is Bowel Cancer awareness month so we have got some healthy tips below for you to maintain a healthy bowel.

1. Fruit and vegetables are very important. Particularly good are broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, citrus fruits, melons, and dark green, red and yellow vegetables. All of these are all recommended for their anti-oxidant and sulphur compounds, which help to protect the bowel.
   
2. Fibre is lacking in most peoples diets today. Some Africans eat about 55grams of dietary fibre a day compared to about 22grams for an average person in the UK. The ideal intake should be around 35grams to keep the bowel healthy. A high fibre diet protects the colon by reducing the time any harmful carcinogens that are present in the stool, are in contact with the intestinal wall. Increase your intake of whole grains, nuts, seeds, lentils, and beans, and of course fruit and vegetables. See the chart below for ideas how to achieve this daily.

    

   Food	Amount of food	How much fibre it provides
   Wheatbran	23 grams	10 grams
   Wholemeal bread	5 Slices	10 grams
   Sunflower seeds	147 grams	10 grams
   Lentils-cooked	70 grams	10 grams
   Carrots	3 large carrots	10 grams
   Apples	3-4	10 grams
   Almonds	107 grams	10 grams

   Source: Chart taken from The New Optimum Nutrition Bible.
   

3. Eat live, low fat yoghurts that contain probiotics. Healthy bacteria do not stay permanently in the gut and so have to be obtained from yoghurts, supplements or probiotic drinks (more information and tips can be found from our magazine Optimum Nutrition–Spring 07 for a list of products to use). The composition of gut flora remains fairly constant in healthy people but it can become unbalanced by ageing, diet, illness, drugs, poor health or stress. Taking daily probiotics can increase the body’s ability to protect itself from illness.
   Link: Optimum Nutrition Magazine
   
   
4. Avoid eating fried foods as this will cut down your exposure to free radicals. Barbecued and char-grilled foods especially if they are fatty should also be avoided because they contain relatively high concentrations of carcinogens.
   
5. Greatly reduce your intake of saturated fats- red meats, full fat dairy produce, cheeses, refined grains and wheat (because of its gluten content). These can all be constipating.
   
6. Finally, drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

We wish you good health.

The Institute for Optimum Nutrition
www.ion.ac.uk