Hello and a happy gut week to you. Yes, officially it's that time of the year when we all look forward to hearing about food poisoning, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome! I have no idea who thinks these events up but they can be a godsend to an amateur journalist who is short of ideas. Bowel problems are very common with about a third of us suffering from abdominal pain, bowel upsets and so forth on a regular basis. In times of stress this becomes even more of a problem, hence expressions such as "worried sick" or "**** scared." This month three million people will get constipated in the UK which speaks volumes about the lack of fruit and veg in our diets. The statistic I find most alarming however is the fact that almost a quarter of cancer deaths are due to tumours of the digestive tract. A good diet helps to prevent bowel cancer. The Digestive Disorders Foundation recommends the following: * Drink plenty of fluids every day - between six and eight glasses a day to help replace lost fluid. * Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. A glass of fresh fruit juice counts as a portion. * Eat plenty of starchy and fibre-rich foods such as pasta, cereals, beans and bread. * Eat foods that promote friendly bacteria in your gut. These include live yoghurts and fermented milk drinks with friendly bacteria. The success rates in treating cancer of the gut depend on early diagnosis. Doctors have a series of what we call "red flag" symptoms which can be an early warning of serious disease. * Nausea or vomiting which persists beyond a few days or becomes recurrent. * Abdominal pain * Anaemia without an obvious cause * Continuing unexplained weight loss * Change in bowel habit especially if stools become black, dark red, pale or contain mucus. Bleeding when you pass a stool * pain when you pass a stool * a feeling that your bowels aren't emptying completely * persistent feeling of fullness, bloating or flatulence. Do not put up with any of these symptoms for more than a month without consulting your GP. It is likely that an endoscopic examination of the upper or lower digestive tract will be needed, known in the trade as "swallowing the camera" or "looking up old friends" respectively. If you want to know more try www.gutweek.org.uk | 
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