In the UK the rate of bowel cancer in the under 50s has increased by around 50% since the mid-1990s. And with similar trends in the US, the race has been on to pinpoint a cause. While it is still impossible to isolate a direct correlation to every case, one expert has highlighted a particular type of food which could be causing problems.
Experts have uncovered that some cooking oils might be contributing to the rise in young Americans, as consuming large amounts of seed oils including sunflower, canola, corn and grapeseed has been linked to inflammation in the body. They are now suggesting that people should ditch seed oils for oils with an alternative that are rich with omega-3 fatty acids like olive and avocado oil.
Researchers at USF Health and Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute found the potential link between the Western diet which is dominated by ultra-processed foods and unhealthy oils, and the chronic inflammation that drives tumour growth. The researchers got a five-year, $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and their first study, published in the journal Gut, explores how processed foods might be stopping the body from healing properly. For the latest health news, sign up to our newsletter here
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Dr Timothy Yeatman, study author and professor of surgery in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, said: "It is well known that patients with unhealthy diets have increased inflammation in their bodies. We now see this inflammation in the colon tumours 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."
According to Yeatman, this study emphasizes the urgent need to re-evaluate the components of the Western diet, which typically consists of excessive consumption of added sugars, saturated fats, ultra-processed foods, chemicals and inflammatory seed oils. In previous studies, the USF Health Heart Institute found an imbalanced diet not only impacts colorectal cancer, but also plays a role in other diseases, including Alzheimer's, diabetes and cardiovascular conditions.
Ganesh Halade, associate professor in the USF Health Heart Institute in the Morsani College of Medicine also said: "Our bodies are designed to actively resolve inflammation through bioactive lipid compounds derived from the healthy fats, like avocados, that we consume.
"Bioactive lipids are very small molecules derived from the foods that we eat and, if the molecules are coming from processed food products, they directly imbalances the immune system and drives chronic inflammation."
Although these molecules are difficult to detect, Halade used a sensitive analytical technique to detect trace amounts of lipids in 162 tumour samples from patients at Tampa General Hospital. And inside the tumours, the team observed an excess number of molecules that promote inflammation and a shortage of those that help resolve it and promote healing.
Yeatman said: "A human's immune system can be extremely powerful and drastically impact the tumour microenvironment, which is great if harnessed correctly for health and wellness. But not if it's suppressed by inflammatory lipids from processed foods."
According to the University of South Florida, resolution medicine would focus on reversing inflammation using healthy, unprocessed foods rich with omega-3 fatty acids and derivatives of fish oil called "specialized pro-resolving mediators," to restore the body's healing mechanisms along with balanced sleep and exercise.
Yeatman also noted: "This has the potential to revolutionise 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."