Is ultraprocessed food causing colon cancer? New study suggests it's possible

America's ultraprocessed diet may be a key culprit behind rising colon cancer rates in younger adults, a new study suggests.

The study in the journal Gut found higher levels of inflammation in colon cancer tumor cells, leading to metabolic problems in those cells. The typical Western diet, which includes a lot of processed foods, has long been shown to drive inflammation.

Although much more research needs to be done to prove cause and effect, Dr. Andrew Chan, a gastroenterologist at Mass General Brigham in Boston, said he's glad to see more support for the connection between inflammation, metabolic dysfunction and an increased risk for colon cancer.

"That risk can certainly be plausibly related to diet," said Chan, who studies the causes of colon cancer.

While cancer rates overall and deaths from cancer have been falling, colon cancer rates have been climbing in recent decades among younger adults.

The rate of colon and rectal cancer diagnoses have fallen substantially since the mid-1980s, mainly because more people are getting screened and changing their lifestyle-related risk factors, according to the American Cancer Society. From 2011 to 2019, incidence of colon cancer fell by about 1% annually, mainly among older adults. In people younger than 55, rates have been growing by 1% to 2% a year since the mid-1990s.

To reduce risks of developing colon cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and limiting or avoiding red and processed meats and sugary drinks. Smoking increases the risk for many types of cancers, and colon and other cancers have been linked to drinking alcohol.

The Gut study, led by researchers at University of South Florida Health in Tampa, found that fats in tumor cells from 162 colon cancer patients showed a “clear pro-inflammatory bias leading to dysregulated” metabolism.

Now, what's needed, Chan said, are studies to see what individual people are eating and whether specific foods they eat are linked to the kinds of changes the new study found. Ultimately, he said, that's what needed to "provide more evidence that there's a causal link between consumption and certain types of oil or ultra-processed foods and colorectal cancer."

Karen Weintraub can be reached at kweintraub@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ultraprocessed food could be causing colon cancer, study suggests