by Dr. Joseph Mercola, Mercola:
Story at-a-glance
- Colorectal cancer is rising in younger adults, with U.S. rates increasing 2.4% per year since 2012. New evidence points to dietary changes as a contributing factor
- A recent study in JAMA Oncology found that those consuming the most ultraprocessed foods had a 45% higher risk of developing precancerous colorectal tumors before age 50
- Risk increased with higher ultraprocessed food intake, then plateaued beyond seven to eight servings daily. Sweetened beverages, sauces, spreads, and condiments showed the strongest links
- You can reduce ultraprocessed food intake by planning real meals, replacing snack foods with whole ingredients, tracking triggers, and making unprocessed options more visible and accessible in your home
- Lowering your linoleic acid intake, increasing fiber gradually, and supporting gut health with protective foods and habits also helps reduce your risk of colorectal cancer
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Colorectal cancer was once primarily a disease of older adults, but that pattern has been shifting in recent decades. Rates of early-onset colorectal cancer, meaning cases diagnosed before age 50, have been climbing steadily worldwide, with the steepest increases reported in high-income countries.1
In the United States, the incidence of colorectal cancer has increased by an average of 2.4% each year between 2012 and 2021. It ranks as the third leading cause of cancer-related death in American men and the fourth in women. Combined, it is the second most common cause of cancer death overall.2
In parallel with this rise, one major change in dietary patterns has drawn increasing attention — the growing dominance of ultraprocessed foods. A recent study published in JAMA Oncology investigated whether higher intake of these items is linked to a greater risk of developing early-onset colorectal cancer, a concern with growing relevance as these foods become dietary staples.3
Higher Intake of Processed Foods Linked to Early Colorectal Tumors
The featured study analyzed data from the Nurses’ Health Study II, a large ongoing U.S. cohort of female registered nurses born between 1947 and 1964. Researchers followed over 29,100 participants who completed at least one lower gastrointestinal endoscopy before age 50 and assessed long-term dietary patterns to explore possible links between ultraprocessed food consumption and the development of early colorectal tumors.4
•Researchers focused on early precancerous growths and long-term diet patterns — They reviewed the participants’ medical records to confirm the presence of polyps, specifically adenomas. These are growths that form in the lining of the colon or rectum and can serve as early warning signs for colorectal cancer.
The study also evaluated serrated lesions, another type of polyp that arises through a different molecular pathway and can also lead to cancer, though the biology and risks differ. Dietary intake was tracked using food frequency questionnaires collected every four years, covering how often participants consumed specific foods over the prior 12 months.
•Higher ultraprocessed intake linked to markedly greater early adenoma risk — Women who ate the most ultraprocessed foods, about 10 servings a day, faced a 45% higher risk of developing conventional adenomas before age 50 than those who ate the least, averaging a little over three servings daily.
The increase was strongest for adenomas that were multiple, large (more than 1 centimeter), or located in the distal colon and rectum. This relationship held even after adjusting for other risk factors, including age, family history, body mass index (BMI), alcohol intake, smoking, physical activity, total calorie consumption, and overall diet quality.
•Risk climbed with intake then plateaued at higher levels — The researchers found a clear dose-response pattern, with adenoma risk increasing as ultraprocessed food intake rose, then leveling off around seven to eight servings per day.
Eating more than eight servings daily did not keep raising risk in a straight line, yet the overall link between higher intake and elevated adenoma risk remained statistically significant. This strengthens the finding by showing risk tracks with consumption rather than appearing randomly.
•Certain ultraprocessed categories drove the strongest associations — The study went further by identifying which ultraprocessed subtypes were most strongly tied to early adenoma formation. Women who consumed the most sauces, spreads, and condiments were 23% more likely to develop early-onset conventional adenomas compared to those consuming the least.
