Colorectal cancer is a significant public health concern, with thousands of new cases diagnosed each year. It is the third most common cancer in the United States and the 4th most common cancer in the UK. The average lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is about 1 in 23 (4.3%) for men and 1 in 25 (4%) for women. It is widely known that the cancer risk of colorectal cancer can be reduced by maintaining a healthy weight and eating a balanced diet, including fruit and vegetables. It is also well-known that eating too much processed meat and red meat probably increases your risk of bowel cancer, as does alcohol consumption.
In this article, we’ll explore a new study published in the journal of Nature Communications that has found that consuming foods and drinks rich in calcium is linked with a lowered risk of bowel cancer.
📝 Understanding colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, also known as colon cancer or rectal cancer, is a type of cancer that originates in the large intestine (colon) or the rectum. It typically develops from precancerous growths called polyps, which can slowly turn into cancerous tumours over time. Early detection is crucial, as colorectal cancer is highly treatable when caught early, but can become more challenging to manage as it progresses.
Symptoms of colon cancer
Some people may get sudden symptoms that progress quickly, others have symptoms that slowly worsen over time and others have no symptoms at all.
Here are some common signs and symptoms:
- Blood in the stool
- Unexplained weight loss
- Change in bathroom habits
- Fatigue
- Feeling bloated
📝 What does calcium do in the body?
Calcium is an important mineral for maintaining strong bones, muscle function and heart health, but there is growing evidence of it’s protective effect against some cancers.
📝 What foods contain calcium?
There is lots of calcium in dairy foods such as milk, yoghurt and cheese. Dairy products are one of the main sources of it in the UK diet (we love our cereals in the morning).
It is also present in non-dairy sources of food like almonds, broccoli, leafy greens, figs, butternut squash, tinned fish and kidney beans. These foods are ideal for people who are lactose intolerant.
🥛 Can drinking milk help lower risk of bowel cancer developing?
An observational study conducted by a lead researcher, Dr Keren Papier from the University of Oxford and Cancer Research UK, suggests dairy products can decrease the risk of colorectal (bowel) cancer. Researchers from the Epidemiology unit in Oxford examined associations of dietary factors with colorectal cancer risk from more than 542,000 women who participated in the Million Women Study. The Million Women Study, one of the largest prospective studies of women’s health in the world.
The study found an extra 300mg of calcium intake a day in the diet, which is the equivalent of a large glass of milk (half a pint of dairy milk) lowers the risk of colon cancer by 17%. The study says calcium is able to bind to bile acids and free fatty acids in the colon, lowering risk of cancer.
The study also found more evidence in line with previous studies that a high alcohol intake and consuming processed meat increased risk of the disease. The amount of alcohol found in a large glass of wine, was linked to a 15% higher risk of bowel cancer, while each 30g of red and processed meat a day was linked to an 8% increase in the disease.
📝 Conclusion
From Cancer UK figures 44,100 new cases of colon cancer are diagnosed every year in the UK, about 2,600 were in 25-49-year-olds. Experts in the field suggest poor diet and obesity may be among the risk factors involved.
While the trends are concerning, more than half of bowel cancers are preventable through changes to diet and lifestyle. Maintaining a healthy weight, eating more fibre, drinking less alcohol, increasing physical activity and not smoking all help to reduce the risk. Diet is particularly important and this latest study highlights increased dairy intake as a good addition to lower colon cancer risk.
Sources
- Bowel cancer risk could be reduced with an extra glass of milk – Cancer Research UK – Cancer News
- Meat, fish and dairy products and the risk of cancer
- Diet-wide analyses for risk of colorectal cancer: prospective study of 12,251 incident cases among 542,778 women in the UK | Nature Communications
- The Million Women Study — Cancer Epidemiology Unit (CEU)
- Weighing the options – Mayo Clinic
- Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests – Sigmoidoscopy & Colonoscopy – American Cancer Society
Medical Disclaimer
NowPatient has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that all material is factually accurate, complete, and current. However, the knowledge and experience of a qualified healthcare professional should always be sought after instead of using the information on this page. Before taking any drug, you should always speak to your doctor or another qualified healthcare provider.
The information provided here about medications is subject to change and is not meant to include all uses, precautions, warnings, directions, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or negative effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a particular medication does not imply that the medication or medication combination is appropriate for all patients or for all possible purposes.
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NowPatient is owned and operated by Infohealth Ltd, a licensed online pharmacy with services spanning the UK, US and Rest of the World. Infohealth Ltd is registered in England and Wales under company number 04004930 and our registered office is at Lynwood House, 373 – 375 Station Road, Harrow, England, HA1 2AW.
Our website is www.nowpatient.com. Our App is called “NowPatient” and can be downloaded from the App Store (for Apple devices) or Google Play (for Android devices).
Can you tell me more about your NHS online pharmacy?
NowPatient’s Pharmaceutical services in the UK are provided by Infohealth Limited trading as ‘Infohealth Pharmacy’.
Our dispensing pharmacy is regulated and authorized for internet sales by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), registration number 1036487. You can view our license credentials on the General Pharmaceutical Council website. Our superintendent pharmacist who is responsible for the safe and effective oversight of medicines supplies is Mr Amish Patel (Registration Number 2042705).
Medicines are not ordinary items of commerce. All medicines or healthcare product sales are made under the supervision of a registered pharmacist who is licensed by the GPhC. At all times, we endeavour to provide a professional and transparent service whose primary goal is to ensure that the best interests of the patient are served.
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From time to time, we accept that our service levels may not be up to your expectations. NowPatient welcomes concerns, compliments and complaints as valuable feedback that will help us learn from your experiences and make improvements. Feedback can be provided via our clear and transparent Complaints Procedures.
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Our prescribing services are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). We provide the following regulated activity:
• treatment of disease, disorder, or injury
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NowPatient prescribing services are run by Infohealth Limited. The Clinical Safety Officer and nominated individual is Mr Navin Khosla. Dr Ihtesham Sabri is the Medical Director for NowPatient and is responsible for NowPatient’s prescribing formulary and treatment guidelines, which are used by clinicians for safe and effective prescribing.
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Our head of US services is Dr. Jamie Winn.
You can lower the cost of your prescription medications using our various savings programs which include drug coupons, savings card and manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs.
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Follow the steps below to book a consultation:
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3Choose Consultation TimeYou will now see the ‘Consultation Time’ screen. Select your preferred time for the consultation and then click ‘Continue’.
4Choose ClinicianOn the ‘Choose Clinician’ screen, you’ll be able to view available clinicians and select the one you prefer. You can filter the list by gender and spoken languages. Once you’ve made your selection, click ‘Continue’.
5Booking ConfirmationYou will now arrive at the ‘Booking Confirmation’ screen, where you can review a summary of your booking. This screen also includes an advisory titled ‘Pre-consultation Requirements’, which offers helpful tips on how to prepare for your live video consultation. Click ‘Continue’ to proceed.
6Safety Information & RemindersYou’ll be asked to provide safety information, including: - The address where you will be during the consultation - Emergency contact details You can also opt to receive an SMS reminder 30 minutes before your scheduled video consultation.
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Follow the steps below to checkout:
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Yes. NowPatient provides trustworthy and accessible clinical, health education and prescription services. We are also trusted by the NHS to deliver clinical and NHS repeat prescription dispensing across the whole of England. In the United States, we work with over 65,000 pharmacies to deliver considerable costs savings for our users.
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Why is it important to choose an online pharmacy and telehealth service that is insured?
Insurance is more than just a financial safeguard, it is a signal of legitimacy and accountability.
We insure our services, so that it:
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Who insures your services and which services are insured?
We are insured by the National Pharmacy Association in the UK.
The scope of the services covered include:
- dispensing of prescriptions
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In addition, all of the clinicians that operate on our platform have their personal indemnity insurance & scope of clinical practice validated and checked before they are able to provide services.
What are NowPatient’s opening hours?
Our office hours are:
UK – Monday-Friday 9am-6pm GMT
US – Monday-Friday 8am-5pm EST
Please note that we are closed at weekends.
In the event of a medical life-threatening emergency please call:
UK – 999
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In the event of a medical emergency which is not life-threatening please call:
UK – 111