Oats To Tackle Bowel Cancer

Health officers in Fife encourage us all to eat a bowl of porridge a day to help lower our risk of developing bowel cancer.

NHS Fife is encouraging people across the Kingdom to start the day with a traditional Scottish favourite, as it aims to raise awareness of the importance of a healthy breakfast in the battle against bowel cancer.

To help spread the message, specialists from the health board are to hand out around 300 sachets of porridge during an awareness-raising visit to the Kirkgate Shopping Centre, Glenrothes today. 

Porridge is high in fibre, vitamins and minerals and generates slow release energy – meaning that, in contrast to alternative high-sugar breakfasts, porridge eaters are less likely to experience a slump in energy levels. Moreover, as they tend to stay fuller for longer, those who opt for porridge for breakfast are also less likely to turn to snacking throughout the day.

Healthy eating is intricately linked to good physical and mental health, and starting your day with a healthy breakfast such as porridge can be a simple, direct, and accessible protective measure against cancer.

Across Fife, the number of people that are likely to be diagnosed with bowel cancer in their lifetime is above the Scottish national average. After smoking, healthy eating is the most effective way of reducing the risk of cancer.

Commenting, Health Promotion Officer at NHS Fife, Fiona Lockett, said: “Where it may previously been perceived as an old fashioned food, increasing 

numbers of people are wakening up to the health benefits that porridge brings. Not only that, but where in the past it may have taken a little time to prepare porridge for breakfast, the rise in the availability of individual microwaveable sachets has made it a far more attractive option for those who do not have a lot of time on their hands in the morning.

“Also, aside from the health benefits associated with the oats themselves, the wide variety of additional ingredients that you can use to customise your porridge can bring additional benefits. Fruit, either tinned or fresh, can bring its own individual health benefits into the mix – making porridge a real breakfast super-food.

“Given that there is an increased risk in Fife, it is vital that more people are made aware of the benefits that healthy eating can bring. Our specialists will be at the Kirkgate to advise on the benefits of a good diet, help people take steps towards achieving one and hand out free sachets of porridge – which will hopefully act as a catalyst to positive, sustained changes to eating patterns in the Kingdom.”