Cancer Prevention

Hopefully you know by now that having irritable bowel syndrome does NOT put you at a higher risk for developing cancer. That said, we all remain at risk to develop some form of cancer over the course of our lifetime. The American Institute for Cancer Research just published an updated set of guidelines for reducing your risk of cancer.

The recommendations are as follows:

1. Be physically fit:

• Be lean without being underweight
• Engage in 30 minutes of physical activity a day

2. Avoid or limit the following food items:

• Sugary drinks
• Processed food, particularly those with added sugar, low fiber or high fat content
• Salty food or processed foods with high sodium content
• Red meat and processed meat products

3. Eat a wide variety of the following:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Legumes (beans, peas and lentils)
• Whole grains

4. Avoid or limit alcohol.

• Two drinks per day for men
• One drink per day for women

5. Get vitamins from eating a wide variety of plant foods, not through the use of high amounts of supplements

Luckily all of these healthy lifestyle recommendations are also consistent with good self care in terms of managing your IBS. The foods that should be avoided or limited, those with low fiber or high fat content, and alcoholic drinks, all have the potential for aggravating a sensitive system. In terms of increasing the amount of plant foods that you eat, you may have become wary of certain fruits and vegetables. Try experimentation: On days when other factors are quiet, e.g. stress, hormones, add a small amount of a new fruit or vegetable and see what happens. Then work to slowly increase the amount of plant foods that you consume on a daily basis.

_{Source: Recommendations for Cancer Prevention}

Photo: Martin Poole/Getty Images