It’s a worrying health trend that’s baffling doctors: the sharp rise in young people being diagnosed with bowel cancer.
According to studies, cases of this deadly disease have increased by 52 percent among people aged 25 to 49 in the last 30 years.
Now, three of the world’s leading gut health specialists have weighed in and given their interesting potential explanations for this trend.
Perhaps most troubling is the idea, raised by Yale Medicine gastroenterologist Dr. Michelle Hughes, that the increase could be due to our increasing use of microscopic chemicals found in everyday items from food packaging to fruits and vegetables. .
These substances are medically known as endrocrine-disrupting chemicals: “small airborne particles and chemical pollutants that disrupt the healthy balance of bacteria in our intestines,” Dr. Hughes explained.
‘This could cause inflammation and stress which can lead to cancer.
“People born after 1950 may be at greater risk because they have been exposed to more environmental changes and pollutants throughout their lives.”
An example of a chemical that disrupts the endrocrine system and that is of increasing concern to experts is pesticides; Substances used in the production of fruits and vegetables.
A study, published in the journal Frontiers in Cancer and Society, suggested that exposure to agricultural pesticides could be as harmful as tobacco smoke in increasing our risk of certain types of cancer.
One studypublished in the journal Frontiers in Cancer and Society, suggested that exposure to agricultural pesticides could be as bad as tobacco smoke in increasing our risk of certain types of cancer.
Chemicals used to control weeds and insects can remain in fruits and vegetables, meaning we may be ingesting them in small amounts on a regular basis.
Researchers at Rocky Vista University in Colorado analyzed 69 different pesticides, including the agricultural herbicide 2,4-dichloroacetic acid and glyphosate used in the United Kingdom, and warned of the harms of exposure to a “cocktail” of different substances chemicals.
They found that areas with intense agricultural production and exposure to pesticides were associated with a higher incidence of bowel cancer.
The results also suggested that exposure was linked to the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, and cancers of the bladder, colon, lung, and pancreas.
However, researchers only highlight the association between pesticides and cancer, there is no evidence that they cause it.
Pesticides have previously been associated with neurological disorders, hormonal disruptions, damaging DNA and causing inflammation, which could increase the risk of cancer.
The world’s leading specialists also suggest that the increase in cancer cases is due to poor diet.
Eating large amounts of ultra-processed foods (UPF), such as sugary drinks, chips and sweets, increases the risk of several types of cancer.
Diets high in UPF not only promote weight gain, which can increase the risk of cancer, but they also lack fiber, which is vital for a healthy digestive system.
That’s why renowned nutrition scientist Professor Tim Spector, founder of the popular diet app Zoe, said news week That eating foods rich in fiber such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts is essential.
He explained that when it comes to protecting against bowel cancer, it’s not just about “avoiding the bad things” but also giving your body foods that help it “thrive.”
Fiber helps regulate bowel movements and reduce the time that harmful substances are in contact with the colon, Professor Spector said.
Non-biological factors could also play a role in the increase in bowel cancer diagnoses.
Increased awareness of the disease thanks to people like Dame Deborah James, who died of bowel cancer aged 40 in 2022, and improved diagnostic techniques, are thought to have contributed to an increase in the number of young people diagnosed.
Logically, the more young people know the symptoms of bowel cancer, the more likely they are to be examined.
But Dr Anne Mongiu, a colorectal surgeon at Smilow Cancer Hospital, USA, warned that symptoms such as a change in bowel habits, blood in the stool, tiredness and abdominal pain are still often mistaken for “less serious” conditions. such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
He urged all age groups to recognize the warning signs of bowel cancer and seek medical attention.