Mia Williams
Health experts are blaming one household cooking ingredient that you may use daily, as cancer cases in Gen Z surge.
While we all know the basic principles that go with healthy eating, there may be some ingredients that we use day-to-day that aren't glaringly obviously harmful for you.
And a new study has revealed that one ingredient could be connected to a rising number of cancer cases in Gen Z.
Bowel cancer, also called colorectal cancer, can be found anywhere in the large bowel, including the colon and the rectum. If left untreated, the disease can develop, eventually infecting lymph nodes and other organs.
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And it's colon cancer that doctors have seen increase within young people.
The link between junk food and the rising bowel cancer risk is being investigated by scientists, but this household item will probably be found in most people's kitchen cupboards.
Certain kinds of cooking oils are the ingredient currently being looked at - as some experts warn of their connection to increased cancer risk.
Oils like sunflower, canola, corn and grapeseed have been highlighted as oils of concern in a new study.
A new study published in the medical journal Gut, which looked at 80 colon cancer patients, found that the cooking oils increased the risk of developing the cancer in the patients aged between 30 to 85.
Instead, experts are urging people to use oils that contain omega-3 fatty acids like olive and avocado oil.
Dr Karen Zaghiyan uses TikTok to promote accurate health advice, and has also issued a warning about the increase in cases of bowel cancers in young people.
The expert said in a video posted earlier this month: "We're seeing an alarming rise in young onset colorectal cancer.
"While nobody totally knows why exactly we're seeing this, a lot of people are suggesting - and the research shows - that perhaps it may be related to what we're eating."
The doctor didn't mention cooking oil in his video, but he did look at five other foods which could be increasing people's chances of developing the disease.
These included red meat, processed meats, sugary drinks, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods.
And unfortunately, snacks such as crisps and cereal fall under the 'ultra-processed foods' category.
Dr Zaghiyan explained: "The reason for the increased association with various gut conditions as well as colorectal cancer is due to the existence of emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, and various additional additives like food dyes that come in these foods."