Drinking alcohol, smoking, not controlling weight, and eating a lot of processed meat can increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
Colorectal cancer mainly develops from tumors that form inside the rectum, also known as polyps. Not all polyps progress to cancer. Adenomatous polyps, polyps containing abnormal cells (called dysplastic polyps), and polyps larger than 1 cm have a higher chance of turning into cancer. Identifying risk factors from lifestyle and making positive adjustments can help prevent the disease.
Overweight or obese
The body mass index (BMI) of Asians ranges from 18.5 to 22.9 kg/m2, which is considered normal weight. BMI over 30 is overweight or obese. Obese people are more likely to suffer from many diseases such as liver and diabetes. The amount of fat accumulated, especially in the belly and hips, compresses the digestive organs, increasing the risk of colon cancer. Excess fat can easily cause inflammation, increase insulin levels in the blood, and promote the growth of cancer cells.
Sedentary
Lack of exercise or lack of exercise leads to slower digestion than normal, causing waste to accumulate more and more in the large intestine. The large intestine is constantly exposed to carcinogens, increasing the risk of disease.
Adults should exercise regularly. Choose light exercises such as walking, yoga, cycling, to practice at least 30 minutes a day and a maximum of 5 sessions a week. If doing high-intensity exercises such as weight training, mountain climbing, marathon running, the practitioner can reduce the intensity and time compared to light exercises. Exercise moderately, do not overload the body to affect general health.
Drinking a lot of alcohol and smoking
A person’s risk of colon cancer increases with the number of years of smoking and the level of smoking. Regular drinking is one of the main risk factors for colon cancer. Alcohol promotes adenomatous polyps and dysplastic polyps to grow faster and more abnormally, easily progressing to cancer. Alcohol is also a factor leading to many other types of cancer such as lung, liver, stomach…
The risk of cancer is directly proportional to the amount of alcohol and the duration of consumption. People who drink a lot of alcohol but are sedentary and obese have a higher risk of cancer than people who drink normally and exercise regularly.
Unscientific nutrition
Eating a lot of fat and cholesterol, especially red meat (beef, lamb and pork), is more likely to cause colorectal cancer. Adults should not eat more than 500g of red meat per week. Limit processed meat such as sausages, canned meat, and salami to prevent cancer. Because this type of meat is high in salt, preservatives, and goes through many processing stages, it is not good for your health if you eat too much.
The American Cancer Society recommends limiting red meat and increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.