A shocking new theory has emerged in the United States about the rise in bowel cancer cases, but one of the suspected causes does not affect Australians.
American gastroenterologist Dr. María Abreu has diagnosed an increasing number of young people with bowel cancer in the United States.
Obesity, sedentary lifestyles and ultra-processed foods have long been blamed for the rise in the disease, which was previously thought to affect only older people.
However, Dr. Abreu said she is seeing people in their 20s and 30s who have a good diet and stay in shape develop the condition.
Dr. Abreu, who is also president of the American Gastroenterological Association, told DailyMail.com that she believes two additives could be behind the increase in cases.
The first is high fructose corn syrup, a liquid sweetener that is very common in the United States but not used in Australia.
The other ingredient is emulsifiers, which are used to give foods a creamy texture and are found in healthy foods such as low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, and peanut butter.
Fortunately, high fructose corn syrup is not used in Australia and the country’s leading independent cancer authority, Cancer Council Australia, says dietary sugar is not a known risk factor for cancer.
Excess sugar consumption can lead to weight gain and obesity, increasing the risk of developing bowel cancer and other types of cancer, experts have warned.
Cancer Council Australia advises Australians to reduce their risk of bowel cancer by avoiding foods high in sugar and low in nutrition, such as chocolate, soft drinks, lollipops, cakes and biscuits.
However, they warn that excessive consumption of sugar, especially sugary drinks and foods high in sugar and low in nutrition, such as soft drinks, chocolate, candy, cakes and cookies, can cause weight gain and obesity, which increases the risk of develop intestinal diseases and other diseases. cancers.
These include cancer of the kidney, pancreas, esophagus and endometrium (uterus), as well as breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
To avoid becoming overweight or obese, Cancer Council Australia recommends eating Nutritious foods such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains and drink plenty of water.
In 2022, research The Narcissus Centera joint venture of Cancer Council NSW and the University of Sydney, found the rate of obesity-related cancers in Australia almost quadrupled between 1983 and 2017.
The organization estimates that 15,542 people will be diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2024, with an average age at diagnosis of 69 years.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia and it is estimated that one in 20 people will be diagnosed by the time they are 85 years old.
Other causes of bowel cancer include a low-fiber diet, high consumption of red meat, especially processed meats, smoking, alcohol consumption, inherited genetic risk and family history, inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease, polyps, and having a diagnosis previous intestinal disease. cancer.
As part of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, Australians aged 50 to 74 are screened for bowel cancer every two years.
American Gastroenterological Association President Dr. María Abreu (pictured) believes two food additives are causing an alarming rise in bowel cancer cases in the US.
People between 45 and 49 years old can also request to have a free screening kit mailed to them.
One of the suspected causes of the rise in bowel cancer in the United States is high-fructose corn syrup, which was introduced in the 1970s as an attempt to stabilize food prices.
Its production became cheaper than sugar, so it ended up everywhere.
High-fructose corn syrup is usually associated with junk foods like sodas and desserts, but it has also infiltrated healthier foods like salad dressings, oatmeal, fruit juices, cereals, and bread.
Dr. Abreu said these ingredients wreak havoc on the microbiome, a network of healthy bacteria in our intestines.
When this delicate ecosystem is damaged, our ability to protect the digestive tract from pathogens that irritate our cells and create inflammation is reduced.
Over time, that inflammation can cause premalignant cells to form and cause them to multiply rapidly, a process called proliferation.