The intestine is the largest immune organ of the human body and an important digestive organ. However, with the change of residents' dietary structure and living habits, intestinal problems are prominent, not only constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, indigestion, etc. are very common, but even the incidence of bowel cancer is also rising - according to the 2022 National Cancer Center data, colorectal cancer has surpassed stomach cancer and become the second highest incidence of cancer in China!
Risk factors for bowel cancer
1. High-fat, high-protein, low-fiber diet
Many people like to eat red meat, processed meat, fried barbecue food, fresh vegetables and fruits are often insufficient intake, such a dietary pattern will increase the risk of bowel cancer.
After entering the human body, the high-fat diet will interfere with bile acid metabolism, promote increased bile acid secretion, and too much bile acid will destroy the intestinal mucosal epithelium.
In addition, a low-dietary fiber diet can cause intestinal microflora disorders, increase the time of contact between toxins or harmful substances in the intestine and the intestinal mucosa, and increase the risk of cancer.
2, love to drink
Researchers at the School of Public Health of Zhejiang University found that drinking more than 4 drinks a day increased the risk of bowel cancer by 21 percent. There is also evidence that bacteria in the gut can convert alcohol into the carcinogen acetaldehyde.
3. Sedentary
For sedentary people, the intestinal and gastrointestinal peristalsis weakens and slows down, and metabolic wastes and harmful components are easy to remain in the colon and stimulate the intestinal mucosa; Sedentary also makes the blood circulation in the abdominal cavity, pelvic cavity, and lumbosacral region poor, resulting in a decrease in the function of the intestinal immune barrier, and the risk of colon cancer is higher.
4, stay up late to play mobile phones, play computers
Staying up late to play mobile phones and play games is a habit of many people, and research from the Institute of Global Health in Barcelona, Spain, shows that exposure to artificial light at night, especially blue light, increases the risk of colorectal cancer.
5, high pressure
Long-term mental stress will affect the autonomic nervous system and endocrine system through the cerebral cortex, which in turn will cause intestinal mucosal vasoconstriction, intestinal dysfunction, leading to enteritis and ulceration.
Moreover, the high-pressure state will also reduce the body's immunity and promote a large number of free radical production, which makes the cells more susceptible to cancer.
Manifestations of bowel cancer
1. Change of bowel habits
Changes in bowel habits are the earliest and most common symptom of colorectal cancer. Due to the stimulation of cancer, patients may have an unexplained increase in the number of stools or alternating constipation and diarrhea in the short term, and there is a feeling of incomplete defecation.
2. The shape of the stool changes
The polyps compress the stool, and the shape of the stool becomes thinner or flattened, with grooves or blood marks in the middle.
3. Mucus and bloody stool
80% to 90% of colorectal cancers have symptoms of blood in the stool, the blood is bright red or dark red, often mixed with mucus or pus, but this is often not the early stage.
Tips:
Bleeding from intestinal polyps or bowel cancer is often mixed in the middle of the stool and has a dark red color; The blood in the stool caused by hemorrhoids is mostly dripping blood after the stool, and the blood color is bright red.
4. Abdominal pain
The pain is paroxysmal colic that lasts for several minutes, with a conscious gas passing through the pain, followed by exhaustion, and then the pain suddenly disappears.
5. Abdominal mass
Some patients may have an irregularly shaped abdominal mass that can be touched, and some mass may have a certain degree of motion with the intestinal tube.
If any of the above symptoms appear, it is best to go to the hospital in time for examination. In particular, there are people in the immediate family who have colorectal cancer; Those who have a history of intestinal adenoma and cancer; People with ulcerative colitis, cholecystectomy; People with bad eating habits and so on belong to the high-risk group of bowel cancer, and they should be more vigilant!
Bowel cancer screening
1. Colonoscopy
Colonoscopy is the gold standard for early diagnosis of bowel cancer and is the most sensitive means of finding colorectal tumors. Colonoscopy can visually observe whether there is a precancerous lesion of the intestinal mucosa, and if intestinal polyps are found, colonoscopic polyp removal surgery can also be performed at the same time.
It is recommended that people over the age of 40, regardless of whether they have symptoms of discomfort, are best to have a colonoscopy screening. If there is no problem, there will be no intestinal discomfort in life thereafter, and it can be done again every 5 years, and it does not need to be done every year.
2. digital examination
Digital examination, also known as intestinal examination, is a project that will be included in the daily physical examination, and it is also the first "abandoned examination" item.
But you know that nearly 60% to 70% of mainland rectal cancers are low-level rectal cancers, and they can be detected through "digital examination". Doctors will judge whether it is cancerous based on various foreign bodies touched by the hand, such as hard, non-moving nodular masses, or peduncles, removable polypoid masses.
Therefore, the annual physical examination can no longer give up the digital examination~ ~ ~ ~
Bowel cancer prevention
1, choose refrigerated yogurt, do not choose ambient yogurt!
Ambient yogurt actually belongs to sterilized yogurt, simply put, ambient yogurt is to heat the yogurt rich in lactic acid bacteria at high temperature, kill all the lactic acid bacteria, while the yogurt is encapsulated, so that although the shelf life of yogurt is guaranteed to be longer. However, this yogurt is free of lactic acid bacteria, so it has no effect on regulating the intestinal flora and assisting in preventing bowel cancer.
Not only to choose the refrigerated ones, but also to take a look at the ingredient list! In the ingredient list, if xx "Lactobacillus" and Streptococcus thermophilus are found, the improvement effect on the intestinal flora will be better!
A small amount of yogurt also adds Lactobacillus acidophilus or bifidobacteria, which are more effective! Not only that, but we should also pay attention to the sugar content in the ingredient list, the sugar content is too high, which is not beneficial to weight control and maintain health.
2, do not choose lactic acid bacteria drinks!
Lactic acid bacteria drinks are not yogurt, there is a high probability that there are no live lactic acid bacteria, and most lactic acid bacteria drinks have a lot of sugar added, not a healthy drink!
3. Supplement "intestinal vacuum cleaner"
"Intestinal vacuum cleaner" is actually dietary fiber, which can promote intestinal peristalsis, some dietary fiber will expand when encountering water, which can increase the water content and volume of feces, thereby facilitating the excretion of feces, preventing constipation, and reducing the risk of bowel cancer.
After nearly 40 years of clinical research and observation, eating more than 8g of dietary fiber per day can reduce the mortality rate of colorectal cancer and coronary heart disease by 5% to 27%. Foods such as fungus, konjac, broccoli, celery, bamboo shoots, apples, pineapples and other foods are rich in dietary fiber and can be eaten appropriately.
Source: Meet a famous doctor