If this report is true and the science valid, then it’s indeed a major breakthrough:
A common food bug picked up in childhood may be fueling a colon cancer epidemic in young people, according to a bombshell study.
Colorectal (bowel) cancer, long considered a disease of old age, is increasingly striking people in their 20s, 30s and 40s in the US and UK in a phenomenon that has baffled doctors.
According to the latest data, early-onset colon cancer diagnoses in the US are expected to rise by 90 percent in people 20 to 34 years old between 2010 and 2030. In teens, rates have surged 500 percent since the early 2000s.
Now, researchers at the University of California San Diego believe they’ve found a potential culprit: E. coli colibactin, a foodborne bacteria that infects around 75,000-90,000 Americans each year and at least 1,500 Britons.
So where does this evil little bugger likely come from?
The most common source of E. Coli is undercooked ground beef, where bacteria can spread during processing. But leafy greens like romaine and spinach are another major culprit, often contaminated in the field through tainted water or contact with livestock.
Raw milk and other unpasteurized dairy products also pose a risk, along with raw produce like apples, cucumbers, and especially sprouts — which provide the perfect warm, moist environment for bacteria to thrive.
E. Coli can also sneak in through contaminated water, which may be used to irrigate crops or clean equipment, and poor kitchen hygiene can help it spread to other foods like poultry.
Wash and clean yer foods, folks.
And if that isn’t enough to frighten you, there’s always chicken.
Cue Joe Jackson’s cheerful little ditty.
