Colorectal Cancer is killing more 20 - 30 year olds.

Can you believe that headline? It came out in a study on Friday, May 17. If you want to read the entire article, google the title above and the author’s name - Julia Belluz

The latest national cancer statistics from the American Cancer Society shows adults under the age of 55 have seen their colorectal cancer rate increase 2 percent PER YEAR since the mid-1990s. Overall, those born in 1990 have double the risk of developing colon cancer and four times the risk of getting rectal cancer compared to those born around 1950.

“It’s not like the problem is bad and has stabilized,” said Thomas Weber, director of surgical oncology at New York’s Northwell health. “The problem has continued to worsen”.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the US, with a lifetime risk of 4-5 percent in men and women. While it used to be a disease that mainly surfaced AFTER middle age (i.e. in older folks), people in their 20s and 30s increasingly are being diagnosed with the disease - they are also dying from it!

Scientists are looking for an answer. They have found strong associations between Western-style, pro-inflammatory diets - heavy in processed meat, red meat, organ meat, sugary beverages and refined grains - and a higher risk of colon cancer.

So what’s the answer? The article continues that science is looking at obesity, outside exposures (chemical and nutritional) and other things but we are convinced that they have identified the obvious things that have been identified in every other study. If we eat the Standard American Diet, we will be sick, stay sick and one day, die sick. Want to avoid colorectal cancer? The answer is an easy one. Eat whole food plant based foods. There’s too much evidence to arrive at any other conclusion!