A study presented during the recent American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago, Ill., adds to a growing collection of research linking diet with a rise in colorectal cancers among young people.
According to the study, “a high-fat, low-fiber diet has been associated with intestinal dysbiosis, which disrupts intestinal bacterial homeostasis.”
Dysbiosis refers to an imbalance of microscopic organisms in the body, per the Cleveland Clinic. It is associated with an inflammatory state that “may promote an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and suppress antitumor immune surveillance,” the study authors explained. They said that inflammation caused by some pathogenic microbes can lead to accelerated aging and early onset colorectal cancer.
Just last month, Audacy covered an expert’s insight on the recent rise in colorectal cancer cases in young patients under age 50 around the globe. Dr. Kimmie Ng, founding director of the Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute said research indicates environmental factors could by playing a role in the surge.
“We’ve… looked at risk factors like sedentary behavior, drinking sugar sweetened beverages, low levels of vitamin D, and they’ve all been reported to be linked,” she said in a recent interview with The Excerpt podcast. “But again, it probably will come down to not just one environmental factor. We’re also really trying hard to understand whether the biology of these tumors is different when they happen in a younger person compared to an older person.”
A 2022 study also found that “high consumption of total ultra-processed foods in men and certain subgroups of ultra-processed foods in men and women was associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer.”
Colorectal cases in young patients are only expected to grow.
Within the next six years, colon rectal cancer among Americans 20 to 34 years old is expected to increase by 90%, and rectal cancer rates are expected to increase by 124%.
While the potential risk associated with certain diet choices may make people want to steer clear from them, other research cited by Audacy has indicated that an ultra-processed food habit might not be easy to break. A study published in the Cell Metabolism journal this March found that that “short-term daily consumption of [a high-sugar, high-fat] snack decreases preference for a low-fat food.”
Many people also reach for ultra-processed foods – including fast food. In fact, research has even found these foods account for around half of the U.S. diet.