London, Oct 10 (IANS): Men who opt for multiple healthy lifestyle behaviours are at less risk of developing bowel cancer than women, a significant study shows.

The study analysed data of 347,237 men and women from 10 countries from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort study using a healthy lifestyle index.

Over the 12-year study period, 3,759 cases of bowel cancer were recorded.

"These data provide additional incentive to individuals and medical professionals to invest in healthy lifestyle initiatives. The more healthy lifestyle changes, the better," said lead study author Krasimira Aleksandrova from German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke.

Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in men and the third most common cancer in women worldwide, mostly in developed countries.

"Our data confirmed that with an increasing number of healthy lifestyle behaviors the risk that a person will have of developing bowel cancer decreases," Aleksandrova noted.

"Our results particularly demonstrate the potential for prevention in men who are at a higher risk of bowel cancer than women," concluded Aleksandrova.

The study appeared in the journal BMC Medicine.