A doctor has warned young people about one potential cause of cancer that he is seeing more frequently in the 'younger generation'.
Despite there being no singular cause of cancer, Dr Nicholas DeVito has issued a warning to under 45s, after seeing a worrying increase in cancer cases.
The oncologist from Duke University in North Carolina, US, claims to have seen more of this demographic in his clinic than ever before, and he is stressing that one thing could be a major contributing factor.
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A varying amount of different things play into whether someone develops cancerous cells or not.
But there are, of course, things you can do/not do to increase your chances of developing the disease.
And according to the doctor, there is one thing that young adults are consuming, that are putting them at risk.
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Dr Nicholas DeVito claims that the rise in junk food diets could be significantly contributing the rise in cases.
He notes that gastrointestinal cancers are on the rise among people under 50, and ‘particularly in bile duct and stomach cancer, the rate increases with each younger generation’.
Talking to STAT News, he said: "Food can play a major role here, making one’s knowledge of ingredients, the American food system, and how what they eat affects their body critical for decreasing cancer incidence.”
Ultra-processed foods being more popular than ever before is proving to be a real issue.
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Hammering the point home, he added: "A lack of regulation in the US has allowed additives that are 'generally recognised as safe' to flood the food system.
"This differs from the European Union, where ingredients need to demonstrate safety before consumption.
"Ultra-processed foods are prominently displayed on grocery store end caps and gleefully (and sometimes deceptively) advertised.”
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Despite claiming that battling the ultra-processed food epidemic will be 'no small feat', the doctor also noted that a 'collective effort' could help reduce the number of deaths every year.
Devito said: “The desire to protect Americans from substances that cause cancer and other diseases should transcend party affiliation and political motivation to overcome industrial lobbying efforts.
"This was possible with tobacco, and it is possible with food.
“To be sure, this will require Americans to make different choices about what they eat to prioritise their health over the profit of corporations and, at times, even their own convenience."
Topics: Food and Drink, Cancer, Health
Mia Williams