Bowel cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in UK. A charity has pointed out that regular intake of processed meat in large quantity can increase the risk of bowel cancer. The World Cancer Research Fund has pointed that eating 150g of processed meat a day, the equivalent of about two sausages and three rashers of bacon, increases bowel cancer risk by 63 per cent.

This charity also pointed out that the chances of developing bowel cancer are one in 18 for men and one in 20 for women in the UK. It added that two third people are not aware of the harmful effects of intake of processed meat in large quantity.

Professor Martin Wiseman, medical and scientific adviser for WCRF, said, "For some people, having a fry-up with bacon and sausages might seem like a good way to start the day. But if you are doing this regularly then you are significantly increasing your risk of bowel cancer, which is one of the most common cancers in the UK.

He added, "As well as the processed meat increasing the risk of bowel cancer, fry-ups also tend to be high in calories. We recommend people limit consumption of high calorie, or energy dense foods because eating them regularly makes you more likely to gain weight. ". He explained that various studies have shown that excess body fat increases risk of six different types of cancer.

He said that eating 150g of processed meat a day can increase your bowel cancer risk by about two thirds, whereas eating 50g a day, roughly the equivalent of a sausage, increases your risk by about a fifth.