2 foods may fuel cancer epidemic among young people: Doc

Oncologists have sounded the alarm about a shocking rise in cancer diagnoses among young people, with some pointing the finger at junk food and processed meat.

“We advise people to eat less processed foods, which are high in saturated fat, sugar and salt,” Matthew Lambert, nutritionist and manager of health information and promotion at the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), told the Daily Mail ).

“This includes foods such as cakes, cookies, pastries, [chips]sugary drinks and fast food like pizza and burgers,” Lambert explained.

Cancer has hit young people hard, especially women and adults in their 30s.

“It has been very alarming for all of us,” said Dr. Coral Olazagasti, assistant professor of clinical medical oncology at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, told The Post in April.

“In the past, you would think that cancer was a disease of the elderly population,” she added. “But now we’ve seen trends in recent years of people being diagnosed with cancer earlier and earlier.”

There is not just one culprit, but ultra-processed foods and processed meats have found themselves in question.

Speaking to the American Society of Clinical Oncology last year, Professor Charles Swanton said research has shown that some early-onset bowel cancers can be “initiated” by bacteria in the gut that are more prevalent in those whose diet is low in fiber and high in sugar.

“What we’re seeing in some studies is some tumors from patients with early-onset colorectal cancer harboring mutations that can be initiated by these microbial species,” said Swanton, oncologist and chief clinician at Cancer Research UK.

These mutations are believed to reduce the body’s ability to fight pre-cancerous cells.

Ultra-processed foods (UPF) include packaged goods, beverages, cereals, and ready-to-eat products that contain colors, emulsifiers, flavors, and other additives. UPFs are typically high in sugar, saturated fat, and salt and lacking in vitamins and fiber.

According to a recent study, UPFs make up about 73% of the US food supply, and the average American adult gets more than 60% of their daily calories from them.

Lambert says, “These types of foods have no fiber and virtually no essential nutrients. They should be eaten only occasionally and in small amounts.”

Recent research reported that people who eat 10% more UPF than others have a 23% higher risk of head and neck cancer.

A junk food diet was also associated with a 24% higher risk of cancer of the esophagus, the tube that connects your throat to your stomach, which is the sixth most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, according to Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.

Meanwhile, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified processed meat as “carcinogenic to humans”, noting that there is “sufficient evidence from epidemiological studies that eating processed meat processed causes colorectal cancer”.

Experts believe that the increased risk of cancer may be caused by nitrates in meat that combine with compounds in the body to damage cells.

According to a 2015 study, people who eat red and processed meat every day are 40% more likely to develop bowel cancer compared to those who eat it once a week or less.

“Consumption of foods containing nitrate or nitrite preservatives, smoked or carbonized foods, and red meat have clear links to cancer risk,” said Dr. Nicholas DeVito, an assistant professor of medical oncology at Duke University Medical Center, wrote in a STAT letter to the editor on Wednesday.

DeVito indicated that most of his new patients have been under 45 years old.

He blames poor dietary choices such as “fried foods, red meat and sugary drinks” for this worrying trend.

He called on local and state governments to promote healthier options.

“The lack of regulation in the US has allowed additives that are ‘generally recognized to be safe’ to flood the food system,” DeVito wrote. “The federal government can empower the FDA to more tightly control processing and additives while funding a multifaceted strategy to address food content and availability.”

He also compares UPFs to smoking, “Collective efforts by health care providers, public health experts, governments, and other organizations were able to significantly reduce tobacco-related deaths. I believe the same can be done for ultra-processed foods.”