Eating is as ubiquitous as living and breathing for many Malaysians, so who cares about what this does to the gut and body, right?
The greeting, “Have you eaten”, is as Malaysian as it gets. We love our food, and we are not afraid to show it.
We are proud of the many different types of cuisine that’s available in this country, and we partake as often as we can, at all times of the day, and night, and into the wee hours of the morning.
Unfortunately, there’s often a price to pay for such an indulgence. And it does not just come in the form of a pot belly.
Good gut health is a crucial part of overall health and wellbeing. If digestive problems persist, if they recur frequently, or occur for no discernible reason, then they should be treated as an indicator of a more serious problem.
One of the worst case scenarios would be colorectal cancer (CRC). For CRC in Malaysia, it was calculated in 2016 that the lifetime risk for men was 1 in 56, and for women it was 1 in 74. CRC is the most common cancer among men and the second most common cancer among women.
Data from the Malaysian National Cancer Registry (MNCR) released in 2018 showed that two in five people were diagnosed at advanced stages (Stages III & IV).
The five-year survival rate for CRC patients was recorded at 48% in a recent study.
Thus, early screening is critical in order to detect CRC as quickly as possible.
Screening is also the only sure method of detecting CRC as its symptoms are very general and can also be attributed to other causes, thus making it difficult to pinpoint whether or not colorectal cancer is the culprit.
It is imperative that we take better care of our gut health, as it will significantly impact overall health and wellbeing as well.
Rather than wait for a more serious symptom to develop, start caring for your gut health immediately.
So, continue enjoying our amazing Malaysian cuisine, but keep a very close eye on our digestive health at the same time. After all, prevention is infinitely better than cure.
Look out for our next article which focuses on digestive health problems that we tend to take lightly.
