Good old traditional breakfast can be a killer!

Aug 26 2008

That good old traditional breakfast that many love, with fried eggs, sausages, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes, can be a killer.

According to the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), those who partake of a daily fry up are more than doubling their risk of developing bowel cancer.

The charity warns that eating processed meats such as sausages and bacon increases the risk, while the added calories can lead to obesity, which is linked to six different types of cancer, including bowel cancer and breast cancer.

Add on extras such as black pudding and fried bread or potatoes, and the calorie count climbs even higher.

The typical fried breakfast with fried eggs, sausages, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes can contain around 700 calories; saturated fat is known to contribute to the risk of heart disease.

Experts say scientific evidence shows that after not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight is the most important thing people can do to prevent getting the disease.

The WCRF says the evidence that processed meat is a cause of bowel cancer is so strong, people should avoid eating it altogether and eating 150g of processed meat a day which equates to two sausages and three rashers of bacon, increases a person's bowel cancer risk by 63%.

Professor Martin Wiseman, medical and scientific adviser for WCRF, says having a 'fry-up' with bacon and sausages on a regular basis, significantly increases the risk of bowel cancer.

Professor Wiseman says many people are unaware of the link between processed meat and cancer but the more processed meat eaten, the greater the risk.