The mystery of the rise in cancer cases among young people?

Researchers are one step closer to uncovering the reason for the rise in colon cancer cases among young people, according to preliminary American research, which revealed its initial results at the largest cancer conference in the world this week.

Researchers at Ohio State University found in the study, which is still being worked on and will be completed in the fall of this year, that eating a lot of sugar and not eating enough fiber causes the intestines to produce bacteria that accelerate cell aging, which may increase mutations that lead to cancer, and reduce the ability to resist the growth of cancer cells, according to the British newspaper "Daily Mail".

The rise in cancer cases

Over the past few years, the number of young adults diagnosed with colon cancer has increased, with experts not sure why. In a summary of the new research paper, which has not yet been published, a team from the university looked at genetic samples from young people - under the age of fifty - and older people with colon cancer.

Scientists say they have found that younger patients who eat low-fibre, high-sugar diets produce a type of bacteria called Fusobacterium, which increases inflammation throughout the gut.

By contrast, fibre slows the release of glucose (blood sugar) into the blood, and feeds healthy gut bacteria that reduce inflammation.

Inflammation and cell ageing

Constant inflammation has been shown to “age” cells, and researchers have estimated that regular poor diets in young colorectal cancer patients make their cells older, by up to 15 years than the person’s biological age.

The researchers estimate that while around 5% of bowel cancer cases are due to genetic conditions, the rest “remain poorly understood”.