The bowels are an organ that are part of the digestive system in the human body. The digestive system is the group of organs that allow us to eat and to use the food we eat to fuel our bodies.
The large bowel (or colon) removes water, salt, and some nutrients forming stool. Muscles line the walls of the bowel, squeezing its contents along. Billions of bacteria coat the colon and its contents, living in a healthy balance with the body.
Our bowels play a crucial role in our health and well being and have been linked to a number of different diseases such as heart disease and dementia.
Bowel Research UK is on a mission. Over a million people suffer from bowel disease in the UK every year and bowel cancer tragically takes the lives of over 16,000 people each year and remains the second most deadly cancer in the UK. This cannot be allowed to continue and Bowel Research UK is dedicated to finding effective treatments for bowel cancer and other bowel diseases, to save lives and to help people suffering with bowel conditions to enjoy a better quality of life
Find out more about bowel cancer and other bowel diseases