Your Deadly Diet?

BETTER SAY GRACE –

Dec. 4, 2024 – The number of people under the age of 50 diagnosed with bowel cancer has increased at an alarming rate. “Unhealthy dietary patterns, marked by high consumption of red and processed meats, fast foods, refined grains, alcohol and sugary beverages, present a worrying relationship with an increased risk of gastrointestinal cancers.”

Responsible for 1 in 3 cancer deaths worldwide, gastrointestinal (GI) cancers can occur virtually anywhere in the digestive system, from the throat to the stomach, pancreas, intestines, rectum, and anus.

Epidemiologist Zegeye Abebe and colleagues reviewed research on dietary patterns and GI cancers, identifying 28 eligible studies for further analysis. While there were some contradictions between individual investigations, collectively the studies suggested healthy dietary patterns generally decreased cancer risk.

Some of the same team also analyzed data from 97,561 people and found those who had a diet containing high fiber and unsaturated fats were less likely to develop colorectal cancer. This cancer is predicted to kill 1.6 million people in 2040.