There has been an alarming increase in the number of younger people being diagnosed with bowel cancer in recent years. Researchers have been searching for answers as to why GI cancers are becoming more common at such shocking rates. Two studies from Flinders Univ. suggest it could be because of the current unhealthy diet trends.
“We’ve identified many direct links between poor diet choices and digestive cancers,” said nutrition epidemiologist Yohannes Melaku. “Unhealthy dietary patterns, marked by high consumption of red and processed meats, fast foods, refined grains, alcohol and sugary beverages, present a worrying relationship with an increased risk of gastrointestinal cancers.”
The researcher found that people who ate diets with fiber and unsaturated fats were less likely to develop colorectal cancer. They suspect that unhealthy foods that cause inflammation could be the problem. They can upset the microbiome in the gut.
Research from USF Health and Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute agrees. They found that Ultra-processed food and unhealthy oils may drive tumor growth by promoting chronic inflammation.
“It is well known that patients with unhealthy diets have increased inflammation in their bodies,” said Dr. Timothy Yeatman, professor of surgery at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. “We now see this inflammation in the colon tumors themselves, and cancer is like a chronic wound that won’t heal — if your body is living off of daily ultra-processed foods, its ability to heal that wound decreases due to the inflammation and suppression of the immune system that ultimately allows the cancer to grow.”
Dr. Yeatman said the discovery could be a huge step forward for cancer prevention. “This has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment, moving beyond drugs to harness natural healing processes. It’s a vital step toward addressing chronic inflammation and preventing diseases before they start,” he said.
He believes that by removing unhealthy food from people’s diets, adding fish oil, balancing sleep and exercising correctly, we could see dramatically lower numbers of new cancer cases. He thinks the overabundance of omega-6 fatty acids in ultra-processed foods make it harder for our bodies to protect themselves from the mutations that lead to cancer. Removing the ultra-processed food, adding omega-3s and taking better care of ourselves overall would be like hitting a reset button for our bodies.
More research is needed to confirm the link between ultra-processed food and bowel cancer. We know that ultra-processed food isn’t healthy. Before making any significant changes, it’s essential to speak to your doctor to be sure the change is right for you. But avoiding less processed foods in the supermarket is always a healthy choice.
