A first-of-its-kind JAMA Oncology study is shedding new light on one of the biggest mysteries in GI medicine: why colorectal cancer is rising so sharply in young adults. Researchers followed more than 29,000 women for 13 years and found that those eating the most ultraprocessed foods — especially packaged breads, breakfast items, sauces, and sweetened drinks — had a 45% higher risk of developing early precancerous colorectal adenomas by age 50.
The findings stop short of proving causation, but they point to a troubling pattern: UPFs may accelerate the classic adenoma-to-carcinoma pathway, potentially via microbiome disruption, chronic inflammation, and altered gut barrier integrity. Notably, the risk didn’t extend to serrated lesions, hinting at a specific biological mechanism that experts say needs deeper study.
As early-onset CRC continues to climb, this research adds another piece to the puzzle — and raises new questions about how modern diets may be shaping GI disease decades earlier.
Read the full CNN report for the complete details.