What the alarming new bowel cancer theory means for Australia – as ‘red flag’ ingredient is blamed for surge in cases in the United States

A shocking new theory about the rise in bowel cancer cases has emerged in the US, but one of the suspected causes does not impact Aussies.

US gastroenterologist Dr Maria Abreu has diagnosed an increasing number of young people with bowel cancer in America. 

Obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and ultra-processed foods have long been blamed for the rise with the illness previously though to plague only older people. 

However Dr Abreu said she’s seeing people in their 20s and 30s who have a good diet and and stay fit developing the condition.

Dr Abreu, who is also the president of the American Gastroenterological Association, told DailyMail.com she believes two additives could be behind the surge in cases.

The first is high-fructose corn syrup, a liquid sweetener uniquely common to the US but not used in Australia. 

The other ingredient is emulsifiers, used to give foods a creamy texture and found in  healthy foods such as low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, and peanut butter.

Thankfully, high-fructose corn syrup is not used in Australia and the country’s peak independent cancer authority Cancer Council Australia says sugar in the diet is not a known risk factor for cancer.

The overconsumption of sugar can lead to weight gain and obesity, increasing the risk of developing bowel and other cancers, experts have warned

Cancer Council Australia advises Aussies to decrease their risk of bowel cancer by avoiding  high-sugar, low-nutritional foods including chocolate, soft drinks, lollies, cakes and biscuits

However, they warn the overconsumption of sugar, especially sugar sweetened beverages and high-sugar, low-nutritional foods including soft drinks, chocolate, lollies, cakes and biscuits, can lead to weight gain and obesity, increasing the risk of developing bowel and other cancers.

These include cancer of the kidneys, pancreas, oesophagus and endometrium (uterus), as well as breast cancer in post-menopausal women.

To avoid becoming overweight or obese, Cancer Council Australia advises eating nutritious foods such as vegetables, fruit and wholegrain cereals and drink plenty of water.

In 2022, research by The Daffodil Centre, a joint venture of Cancer Council NSW and the University of Sydney, found the rate of obesity-related cancers in Australia almost quadrupled between 1983 and 2017. 

The organisation estimates that 15,542 people will be diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2024, with the average age at diagnosis 69-years-old.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, and it is estimated that one in 20 people will be diagnosed by the time they are 85.

Other causes of bowel cancer include a diet low in fibre, high red meat consumption, especially processed meats, smoking, alcohol consumption, inherited genetic risk and family history, inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s’ disease, polyps and having a previous diagnosis of bowel cancer. 

As part of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, Aussies aged 50-74 are sent a bowel screening test every two years. 

President of the American Gastroenterological Association Dr Maria Abreu (pictured) believes two food additives are leading to the alarming rise in bowel cancer cases in the US

People aged 45-49 can also request a free screening kit to be mailed to them.

One of the suspected causes of the rise in bowel cancer in the US is high fructose corn syrup which was introduced in the 1970s as a bid to stabilise food prices.

It became cheaper to produce than sugar, so it ended up everywhere.

High fructose corn syrup is usually associated with junk food like soft drinks and desserts but it has also sneaked into more ‘healthy’ foods such as salad dressings, oatmeal, fruit juices, cereals and bread.

Dr Abreu said these ingredients wreak havoc on the microbiome, a network of healthy bacteria in our guts.

When this delicate ecosystem becomes damaged, it reduces our ability to protect the digestive tract from pathogens that irritate our cells and create inflammation.

Over time, that inflammation can cause the formation of premalignant cells and lead them to multiply quickly, a process called proliferation.