Cancer Is Rising In Young People… But Why？

Why is bowel cancer showing up in people in their twenties, thirties and forties, while rates in older adults keep falling? The clues point back to childhood, to the food we grew up on and to the bacteria living in our gut.

If you have ever wondered about early onset colorectal cancer, rectal bleeding or how much fibre you really need, this one is for you.

I start with the numbers, because they need to be kept in proportion. The risk has roughly doubled for younger adults, yet it is still low, and I explain why extra testing doesn't account for the rise and why a cancer found at 35 may have started its journey decades earlier.

From there I go through the likely drivers: long hours of sitting, ultra processed food and low fibre, processed meat, gut bacteria and a DNA damaging toxin called colibactin, and alcohol. Then I cover the symptoms you should never ignore and the simple changes that bring your own risk down.