The number of people under the age of 50 diagnosed with bowel problems cancer has increased at an alarming rate in recent decades. Two new studies from Flinders University suggest this rapid increase could be due to changes in eating habits.
“We have identified numerous direct links between poor dietary choices and digestive cancers,” explain Yohannes Melaku, nutrition epidemiologist.
“Unhealthy dietary habits, marked by high consumption of red and processed meats, fast food, refined grains, alcohol and sugary drinks, show a worrying relationship with increased risk of gastrointestinal cancers.”
Responsible for one in three cancer deaths worldwide, gastrointestinal (GI) cancers can occur virtually anywhere in the digestive system, from the throat to the stomach, pancreas, intestines, the rectum and anus.
Epidemiologist Zegeye Abebe and colleagues reviewed research on dietary habits and gastrointestinal cancers, identifying 28 eligible studies for further analysis. Although there are some contradictions between individual investigations, collectively the studies suggest that healthy eating habits generally decrease cancer risk.
Some members of the same team also analyzed data from 97,561 people and found that those who ate a diet high in fiber and unsaturated fats were less likely to develop colorectal cancer. This cancer is expected to kill 1.6 million people in 2040.
“With the increasing number of digestive cancers, such as bowel cancer, being diagnosed worldwide and affecting more and more people under the age of 50, it is time to act to protect people’s digestive health” , explain Melanaku.
“Our studies demonstrate that nutrition education and promotion of healthy eating habits could play a critical role in reducing gastrointestinal cancer risks and improving patient outcomes.”
As a systematic review of observational studies, the analysis cannot distinguish cause from effect, but based on previous research, the team suspects that the mechanisms behind the links between diet and cancer involve inflammatory processes as well as interactions via our microbiome.
Foods rich in antioxidants such as berries, leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, almonds, walnuts, flaxseed, turmeric, ginger, garlic, citrus fruits, oily fish and Colorful vegetables are all anti-inflammatory. While red meat, sugary drinks and refined carbohydrates, such as those in white bread, are inflammatory. They can also increase insulin resistance.
“Insulin resistance increases cancer risk through activation of insulin-like growth factor 1,” Abebe and team to write.
Their findings support global guidelines for healthy eating, echoing other research which shows that diets high in junk food and red meat are bad for our health. Over and over again, diets that concentrate on fresh fruits and vegetables are associated with better health outcomes.
“While our results are promising, additional work needs to be done with a greater emphasis on nutrition in clinical settings using nutritional biomarkers to better understand the relationship between diet and gastrointestinal cancer.” said epidemiologist Amy Reynolds.
“We need to understand how different dietary patterns may influence the risk of developing digestive cancers. We also want to see an increase in education around healthy eating, which could lead to better health outcomes for those at risk of gastrointestinal cancer.”
This research was published in the European Journal of Nutrition And Nutritional advice.