the cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. New research - published in the journal Cancer Research - suggests a very common food additive might play a role in its development.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 136,119 Americans were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2013.
Risk factors for developing the condition include inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
What IBD and colorectal cancer have in common is an alteration in the gut microbiota.
An overview of recent scientific literature shows that changes in the microbiota have become increasingly associated with colorectal cancer.
This is why Dr. Emilie Viennois, assistant professor at the Georgia State University Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Atlanta, believes there might be a connection between a common food additive that alters intestinal microbiota and colorectal cancer.
The role of intestinal microbiota in colorectal cancer
There are over 100 trillion microorganisms living in the gut, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The microbiota is made of the physiological interaction between the host's microorganisms and the ones introduced from the environment.
The microbiota is acquired during the first stages of life and varies with every individual. Having a diverse and balanced microbiota is crucial in keeping a healthy immune system.
Severe changes in the microbiota, either as a result of changing one's diet, lifestyle, or because of an infection, can alter the symbiotic relationship between the host microorganisms and the environmental ones, leading to IBD.
IBD promotes the formation of tumors in the colon. Low-grade inflammation, which has been associated with changes in the microbiota and metabolic disease, has also been observed in many cases of colorectal cancer.
Source:
No comments:
Post a Comment