Everything you need to know about colorectal cancer

Although colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide, it's also the most preventable cancer after lung cancer. There are numerous lifestyle changes you can make to protect yourself, many as you might imagine, involve your diet. Read on to find out more.

Aging, genetic abnormalities, diseases like inflammatory bowel disease.

Blood in your stools; narrowing of stools; a change in bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation for more than a couple of weeks; cramps, gas or pain; abdominal pain with a bowel movement; feeling that your bowel doesn't empty completely; weakness or fatigue; unexplained weight loss.

1. Get screened. Colonoscopies prevent about 80 percent of all colorectal cancers and colorectal cancer can be completely prevented through screening. During a colonoscopy, a doctor snakes a tube with a tiny camera through your colon looking for polyps. If he sees anything suspicious, he can biopsy it while you're still sedated. You should have a colonoscopy every 10 years starting at age 50, more often if you have a family history of the disease.
2. Exercise. Men who are physically active reduce their risk of colon cancer about 21 percent. For women, the benefit is greater — a 30 percent risk reduction.
3. Limit red meat. The less you eat, the lower your risk of colorectal cancer. People who eat a lot of meat tend to eat fewer health-protective fruits and vegetables, which contain valuable antioxidants that help stem damage. If you have steak, make it no larger than your hand.
4. Skip cold cuts. Eating about 50 grams (two ounces) of processed meat a day increases your risk of colorectal cancer by 50 percent compared to people who eat none. The culprit may be the nitrates used to preserve meat.
5. Go fish. People who eat fish once or twice a week reduce their risk of colorectal cancer by about 12 percent; each additional serving reduces the risk by another four percent. The link appears to be the high levels of selenium and vitamin D in fish.
6. One drink limit. That's 125 millilitres (four ounces) of wine, 350 millilitres (12 ounces) of beer or 45 millilitres (1.5 ounces) of liquor. Study subjects who drank more than 45 millilitres (1.5 ounces) of alcohol a day increased their risk of colorectal cancer by 41 percent.
7. Eat beans. Lentils and peas are also excellent sources of folate. Women with a family history of colon cancer who consumed more than 400 micrograms of folate each day lowered their risk by more than 52 percent. You'll get almost 300 micrograms by eating 250 grams (one cup) of chickpeas.
8. Use garlic. About six cloves of garlic a week, raw or cooked, can reduce your risk of colorectal cancer by as much as 31 percent. The benefit probably comes from allicin compounds that prevent colorectal tumors.
9. Drink skim milk. Just 250 millilitres (eight ounces) a day reduces a women's risk of colorectal cancer by 16 percent and men's risk by 10 percent. Milk contains conjugated linoleic acid and lactoferrin, which prevent colon cancer in animals.
10. Olive oil, not butter. Animal fats like butter are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, because diets high in fat require bile acids, that convert into cancer-causing compounds. Another reason to get your protein from sources like fish rather than red meat.
11.  Lose weight. Being overweight considerably increases your risk of colorectal cancer. Researchers think the higher levels of hormones in overweight people provide fuel for cancer cells.
12. Get your D. The sun is your best source of vitamin D, one of the most important vitamins when it comes to preventing colorectal cancer. During the winter, get D from diet or a supplement, about 800 IU daily.