A new study suggests that eating red meat and sugar may contribute to colorectal cancer among young people. According to the researchers, there has been a significant surge in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer among younger individuals over the past two to three decades. The exact reason behind this alarming trend has remained unclear, as the majority of cases are not associated with genetic or hereditary factors, even among the younger population. However, with the recent data obtained, now there is supporting evidence for the hypothesis that environmental factors may be responsible for this increase.
Association of elevated urea levels with lower levels of urea metabolizing microbe Bifidobacterium, and its contribution to colorectal carcinogenesis has been previously establishedAdditionally, studies found that the microbes thought to have carcinogenic potential in CRC include Fusobacterium, Anaeroplasma, Flavonifractor, Parasutterella, Ruminococcaceae UCG 002, Acidovorax, Anaeroplasma, and Eubacterium
Researchers also discovered significant alterations in metabolic pathways related to carbohydrate and protein metabolism in young-onset colorectal cancer compared to average-onset colorectal cancer. These findings indicate that factors such as excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages or red meat as well as obesity, which contribute to an excess of energy, may be risk factors for the development of colorectal cancer at a younger age.
In conclusion, starting at a young age a balanced diet including fresh fruit and vegetables limiting red meat and processed food should be strongly encouraged to reduce the chance of getting colorectal cancer.”
Reference: Jayakrishnan, T.T., Sangwan, N., Barot, S.V. et al. Multi-omics machine learning to study host-microbiome interactions in early-onset colorectal cancer. npj Precis. Onc. 8, 146 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41698-024-00647-1