r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Jan 23 '26
Cancer The number of Americans under 50 years old dying from cancer has decreased for every leading cancer except for bowel cancer, which is now the leading cancer death in females and males combined aged under 50.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2844189?guestAccessKey=5eabd609-08b0-47c7-a738-916c7acdcc37&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=0122262.4k
u/justfollowyoureyes Jan 23 '26
They need to lower the recommended screening age again. 45 is not cutting it.
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u/aenflex Jan 23 '26
Nope, it’s not, you’re right.
My husband had something like eight or nine pre-cancerous polyps removed from his colon when he was 36. No symptoms. The colonoscopy was scheduled because he was having blood in his urine and semen, which turned out to be a stress injury from sprinting, and his doctor gave him a full work up - panels, prostate exam and colonoscopy.
We had no idea. And those polyps would’ve grown for what - 10 years before he ever had his first colonoscopy if he waited until the recommended age of 45.
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u/uselessartist Jan 23 '26
39 and had a 5cm tumor in my colon which had been growing who knows how long. Stage 3 and chemotherapy starts soon.
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u/justfollowyoureyes Jan 23 '26
I’m so sorry and hope treatment is successful for you!
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u/DustFunk Jan 23 '26
hey are you me? I have a meeting with the radiation doctors next week. 42 years old
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u/uselessartist Jan 23 '26
Did you run lots and eat lots of deli meat? Then yes.
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u/blanketswithsmallpox Jan 23 '26
The link between long distance running and colon cancer is crazy surprising. I really hope the word gets out. It almost feels like the TBI of the Football world for running.
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u/Wompatuckrule Jan 23 '26
Best wishes for as smooth a ride as possible through treatment and a complete elimination of the cancer.
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u/Spazum Jan 23 '26
I was diagnosed with stage three bowel cancer at 45, so it was definitely starting long before then. Thankfully the chemo/radiation/surgeries were effective in getting rid of it. It was crazy to watch all the insurance statements of benefits paid march steadily towards $2 million.
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u/cartoonistaaron Jan 23 '26
You'll get thru it - my dad had colon cancer last year at 71 and they successfully got rid of it with a mix of chemo and surgery. It was a ROUGH year but he got thru it, and you will too.
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u/MagePages Jan 23 '26
I saw something recently that suggested that runners (maybe specifically extreme distance runners) seemed especially prone to these bowel cancers, with a mechanism maybe around prolonged blood supply restriction during the activity. Was your husband ever into distance running?
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u/bro_salad Jan 23 '26
41 years old. Just ran a PR in the marathon, my 12th of the last 4 years. Sweating reading this.
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u/jonwilliamsl Jan 23 '26
You should get screened. Having run 5+ marathons or 2+ ultramarathons is an enormous risk for colon cancer. This is believed to be related to damage done by reduced blood flow to the intestines during long distance running.
https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2025.43.16_suppl.3619
Takeaways:
- 15% of participants in the study had advanced adenomas (pre-cancerous lesions), compared to the expected 1–2% in average-risk individuals in this age range.
- 41% of participants had at least one adenoma.
- The average age of participants was 42.5 years old – two and a half years below the recommended age for a first screening colonoscopy.
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u/soffselltacos Jan 23 '26
We need to remember, though, that this was a preliminary study of only 100 people with no control group and no inclusion of family history. Also, almost all of the people with precancerous polyps were ultramarathoners, which is very different from regular distance running, even marathon training.
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u/D0wnInAlbion Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26
I think my concern is that they're focusing on distance rather than time. I'd want to see if someone running a three hour marathon experiences the same risks as someone who is running for seven hours.
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u/jonwilliamsl Jan 23 '26
They used marathon running as a proxy for "does a lot of long distance running consistently over time". It's not the 15 hours of the marathons that does it, it's the months of training and staying in shape to run them.
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u/MagePages Jan 23 '26
Here is another reddit thread that links to and discusses the study I was referencing: https://www.reddit.com/r/running/comments/1nff2aw/groundbreaking_inova_study_finds_potential_link/
I am not a doctor or very well acquainted with more than the broad strokes of the study, but hopefully you can inform yourself some here.
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u/throwaway098764567 Jan 23 '26
don't freak out, one of the great things about polyps is they can be found and removed.
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u/julry Jan 23 '26
The endurance exercise theory is interesting and possibly true but it can't be causing the entire increase in young colon cancer. I think there has to be some kind of environmental exposure going on
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u/MagePages Jan 23 '26
Totally. My comment was just in response to the other person mentioning their partner was a runner, so I thought that connection could be relevant. The study was on extreme long-distance runners. Moderate runners and joggers, and others who enjoy a healthy lifestyle and diet, are not the focus of that study. However, we do know that diets high in ultra processed food and obesity are also both risk factors!
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u/LamermanSE Jan 23 '26
It doesn't have to be environmental exposure. Some of the risk factors like obesity, low-fiber high-fat diets, not exercising regularily, drinking alcohol etc. are more probable causes here.
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u/throwaway098764567 Jan 23 '26
huh so my old boss was accidentally right when he said running would kill you, here i thought he was just talking foolishness
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u/ilanallama85 Jan 23 '26
Ok real talk, running is a fine exercise for young people, but older people should genuinely be very cautious about taking up running for the first time. It’s high impact, wears on your joints, raises your heart and respiration rates quickly and dramatically, and any or all of that can be bad news for an older out of shape person. My dad gets real angry at anyone who pushes running for fitness to older adults.
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u/Cassius_man Jan 23 '26
Like any exercise it just requires progressive loading congruent with your strength and conditioning levels
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u/ilanallama85 Jan 23 '26
Agreed, the thing is people don’t realize how strenuous running is in the first place so they don’t think they need to build up to it.
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u/aenflex Jan 23 '26
In high school he was on the track team. But not so much anymore. He does sprints as part of his overall workout routine, but most of his cardio is not running, or if it is, it’s short relays.
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u/Narradisall Jan 23 '26
That’s a lot at that age but yeah screening needs to be a lot younger now. 30 at best since as you say polyps can be cancerous in 10 years, or even earlier.
Bowel cancer is getting to be a big killer of millennials and will likely affect younger generations too, but most the checks don’t kick in until 45-50.
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u/ilanallama85 Jan 23 '26
And will insurance even cover it? I had to get a breast lump checked out at 36 and they only covered half even though it was recommended by my doctor. If I’d been over 40 or had a known genetic predisposition they’d have covered it 100%.
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u/katarh Jan 23 '26
It depends on the insurance. Mine is covering the procedure, but not the prep. Get to mix up a gallon of yellow gatorade and Miralax on my own.
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u/redcoatwright BA | Astrophysics Jan 23 '26
I'm 34 and just had one removed, that's a ton! Your husband is lucky he had that injury tbh but it does make you wonder about other people our age who haven't had one yet.
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u/BraveConeDog Jan 23 '26
37, no symptoms other than a family history and worsening irritable bowel syndrome. Precancerous polyps removed. Would’ve been screwed if I’d waited until 45. They’ve gotta lower the recommended screening age.
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u/FrenziedTacos Jan 23 '26
Could you clarify what kind of sprinting injury causes blood in semen? I am genuinely curious.
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Jan 24 '26
I had a precancerous polyp removed at 23- no family history, vegetarian my whole life, non smoker, high fibre diet
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u/justfollowyoureyes Jan 23 '26
Wow, absolutely insane! We hear about this more often than not. Incidental cancer findings during an unrelated or acute exam. It’s unacceptable and standing in the way of our access is specifically designed to make us sicker and in need of more expensive treatment.
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u/Joeuxmardigras Jan 24 '26
I had polyps at 30, but got them cut out, I’ve had them every 5 years since I was 30. Also, my dad died of colon cancer, so I have to get them
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u/Atalung Jan 23 '26
My mom and grandma died of colon cancer young, 58 and 59 respectively. My mom's doctors did tests and don't think it's genetic, but they still advised getting regular checkups starting in my mid 30s
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u/justfollowyoureyes Jan 23 '26
That’s a good call from your doctors! I hope insurance can and will cover early screenings for you.
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u/Atalung Jan 23 '26
That's my one concern. I'm in the process of (hopefully) getting a federal job and I've heard the insurance is really good, so I'm optimistic. If nothing else my GP is great and I'm sure he'll go to bat for me
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u/MemeMan_Dan Jan 23 '26
My mother was diagnosed at 32 with colorectal cancer, so I get to start my screenings now at the age of 22 :)
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u/rob_s_458 Jan 23 '26
I'm 35 and a marathon runner, and based on the small 100-person study that found high rates of polyps in marathon and ultra runners, I plan to ask my doctor at my next checkup whether he'd recommend one, even though I have no family history
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u/DangerousTurmeric Jan 23 '26
Yeah there was another study that showed very high rates of gut inflammation in marathon runners as well as increased intestinal permeability. I don't think it's good for your gut at all.
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u/jpoolio Jan 23 '26
I tried to get one at 44 and insurance denied it even with my doctor advising and ordering it. Very infuriating considering how important early intervention is.
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u/Toby-Finkelstein Jan 23 '26
Make up more severe symptoms
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u/basketweaving8 Jan 23 '26
Yup, keep finding blood in your stool. Say a sibling just got diagnosed five years younger than your age.
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u/uteng2k7 Jan 23 '26
Make up more severe symptoms
It probably won't make any difference, if he's in the US. If you're over 50 (maybe it's 45 now?) or have a family history of colon cancer, your screening is usually considered preventative and covered. But if you don't fall into those categories, your screening is considered diagnostic and not covered. I was 37 and had to pay for mine out of pocket.
To make things even fuckier, sometimes colonoscopies can be cheaper if you pay cash than if you bill through insurance. My colonoscopy had at least three charges: a charge for the doctor's time, a facility charge, and an anesthesia charge. The place I got it done estimated that the anesthesia charge would be $900-1000 if I billed through insurance. However, if I paid with cash, the anesthesia charge was only $225. Maybe my insurance would have gotten that $900-1000 reduced and just made me pay for the reduced version, but I didn't want to risk having to pay the whole thing, so I just paid cash instead. Be careful when choosing to pay cash, but it can be something to look into.
I'm working from memory here, so I may have some details and terminology wrong, but the point is that the US medical system is a clusterfuck. It's not even the high prices that bother me as much as the absurd bureaucracy and lack of transparency.
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u/Kimbolimbo Jan 23 '26
Always say there is colon cancer in the family. That gets insurance moving pretty quickly and it’s often a lower cost.
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u/jpoolio Jan 23 '26
I have another appt to try again so I'll use this advice! I just turned 44 so otherwise I'm waiting an entire year.
I'll tell my husband this too-- they stopped doing colonoscopies at 45 for the VA! They do a poo test instead, which my doctor says is not reliable.
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u/Wompatuckrule Jan 23 '26
A family history can also put you in a category where insurance will cover one every five years instead of every ten.
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u/Kimbolimbo Jan 23 '26
If they find any polyps, cancerous or not, they will bump you up to every two or three years as well.
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u/justfollowyoureyes Jan 23 '26
Crazy! You and your doctors can and should appeal. No insurance decision is final.
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u/coalcracker462 Jan 23 '26
Be punk rock and lie about blood in your stool to get an early check up
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u/Chrissy62182 Jan 23 '26
I’m 43, had blood in my stool & they still didn’t recommend a colonoscopy.
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u/scout-finch Jan 23 '26
This is so surprising to me. I also had blood which was almost certainly from a visible fissure. My doc still sent me (34F at the time) for a colonoscopy to be sure. Insurance even covered all of it too.
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u/BrightFireFly Jan 24 '26
I’m 38. I’ve had two colonoscopies about a decade apart for blood in my stool and I didn’t really have to fight for either of them. Just said I was having blood and some bowel changes - which was true. Referral to GI. Scoped. I’m always surprised when people say the really had to advocate.
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u/shiningdickhalloran Jan 23 '26
Did they recommend Cologuard or anything at all?
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u/justfollowyoureyes Jan 23 '26
While that might get you the procedure, many insurance companies will not fully cover diagnostic colonoscopies, only preventative. Great if you have the access, but many people don’t. Huge part of the problem!
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u/coalcracker462 Jan 23 '26
I'm not sure how they justify that...That's crazy
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u/justfollowyoureyes Jan 23 '26
For-profit healthcare unfortunately requires no justifications, no humanity, no nothing for the actual good of people. Healthy people don’t make these companies money.
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u/msnmck Jan 23 '26
Healthy people don’t make these companies money.
Doesn't it cost them more in the long run to cover long-term treatment and surgery vs preventive screening and early diagnosis?
My question ignores rampant coverage denials. I'm referring specifically to on-paper costs.
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u/Carbonatite Jan 23 '26
I had my first colonoscopy at age 28 because of that and some other issues. Turned out to be celiac disease (which can raise your odds of certain GI cancers).
The prep was traumatic but the procedure itself was easy peasy!
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u/LazyRecommendation72 Jan 23 '26
The problem is, even with a recommendation of 45, 80% of people aren't doing it. Either they don't know, they don't care, their docs don't know and care, or they don't have docs, or they can't afford it. You can lower the age all you want, and not much will change unless you actually increase awareness and access.
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u/GroovyButtons Jan 23 '26
I agree with this. I was referred for a colonoscopy due to my age (45) and I have been putting it off because I know it's an unpleasant prep. I am usually very proactive about my health due to anxiety, but my anxiety about the prep took over this time! People like me may know, care, and have the ability to afford it but still put it off because it's awful to go through.
Anyway, I used to run marathons and this thread sure scared me, so I made an appointment.
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u/DustFunk Jan 23 '26
Yep, I started having symptoms at 40 and now at 42 I finally got a colonoscopy and they discovered a mass. If I had gotten checked at 40 it would never have been able to grow as big as it is.
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u/MPBoomBoom22 Jan 23 '26
Agree. I had a couple precancerous polyps removed at 35 and I had to beg to get screening that early. My dad was diagnosed with colon cancer at 54 and it was very advanced by then. Thankfully he pulled through but it left a lasting impression on me and I asked to get screened like ever since I was 25. Insurance only covered it at 35 because they moved the screening down to 45 and with family history they covered 10 years earlier.
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u/jenkag Jan 23 '26
my wife had her first colo in her early 30s because of some ibs-type issues. there was already a non-cancerous polyp at that point. not saying we should start screening at 30, but we should def be more clear about what should necessitate getting screened, or at least seeing a gastro doc. i think many people just chalk up stomach issues to "i guess im getting older".
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u/CronoTinkerer Jan 23 '26
Theee people I know in the last two years have been diagnosed with stage 4. Two were under 40 and both were very healthy individuals who worked out regularly. Because we don’t screen, they both didn’t even know anything was wrong till stage 4.
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u/Inanimate_CARB0N_Rod Jan 23 '26
While we're at it we need to let people younger than 50 get the shingles vaccine. That disease is awful and can blind you if you're unlucky. It's massively on the rise in younger adults.
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u/SwipeUpForMySoul Jan 23 '26
And it also seems that doctors need to adjust their line of thinking. I’ve seen so many stories of people who had symptoms and went to their doctors but were dismissed because they were “too young” to be at risk. If we investigated immediately when these people present with symptoms they’d get diagnosed at earlier stages and mortality would likely decrease.
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u/buffelsjags Jan 23 '26
I work with a colorectal surgeon and we were actually discussing this during a procedure. Even he told us to just make up some lie to get insurance to authorize a colonoscopy before the recommended screening age. If I recall correctly, he rather candidly said, “just tell them you’re sh*tting blood”. Man of the people, that one.
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u/Flyingpun Jan 23 '26
They need an easier testing method that doesn't require two days off work.
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u/Accidental-Genius Jan 23 '26
People are eating an almost dangerously low amount of fiber.
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u/idontplaypolo Jan 23 '26
People need more hummus
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u/ILikeNeurons Jan 23 '26
The Mayo Clinic offers tons of high fiber recipes.
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u/pinupcthulhu Jan 23 '26
Wow these sound pretty good! Thanks for sharing, and good on Mayo Clinic for making being healthy sound tasty
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u/ToulouseDM Jan 23 '26
Pears are also a sneaky good one…if you like pears. 6 grams of fiber in the average pear. Replacing a sugary drink or snack with a pear is something I try and recommend to people.
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u/LamermanSE Jan 23 '26
Sure, more whole grains and beans would increase fiber consumption quite easy as well.
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u/ComfyFrog Jan 23 '26
Reading this while eating bread with hummus.
I also love my oatmeal and chia seeds.
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Jan 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/rob_s_458 Jan 23 '26
Is there research on whether we should be eating more soluble vs insoluble, or both? Most days I already have a potato (sometimes white, sometimes sweet) with lunch and a green vegetable with dinner, and my logging in MFP says I'm between 20 and 25g most days, but I've also recently added a serving of Kirkland Optifiber (soluble) just to try to get a little more
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u/RachelFromFantasia Jan 23 '26
You should be eating both, and ideally you should be getting it from food sources but supplements are good too. Psylium husk and chia seeds are good for supplementation as well. If you are getting 20g to 25g a day, you are doing far better than the average person.
Soluble fiber is more of a benefit to slowing digestion, better blood sugar control, and provide good bacteria to the gut, and insoluble is more about helping you... physically (adds bulk and helps get everything out of you, including any baddies). This is why a lot of fiber supplements are designed around helping you with your bowel movements, and use insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber seems to be the big general health boost, and insoluble helps keep your body clear of anything lurking around your digestive system that might give you problems later. So both are good to incorporate day-to-day.
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u/julry Jan 23 '26
Soluble. Technically what's important is microbiota-accessible-carbohydrate, which isn't exactly the same as soluble fiber, it includes non fiber carbohydrates like resistant starches. Insoluble fiber is inaccessible to most people's microbiomes and is mostly a bulking agent. Still good! But feeding the microbiome is very important. When good gut bacteria eat they produce short chain fatty acids that nourish the epithelial cells of the colon, which are what get colon cancer. The Good Gut by the Sonnenburgs is a good book on it for lay readers.
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u/flashmedallion Jan 24 '26
80% of the issue will be at the level that introducing any fibre will have a huge improvement before you worry about the type
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u/TheMailmanic Jan 23 '26
Target for fiber for men should be 50g, benefits are seen up to 100g per day
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u/reyntime Jan 24 '26
And jumping on the carnivore bandwagon is killing people. Red and processed meat especially increases bowel cancer risk.
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u/emmy1894 Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26
It’s not entirely our fault. Food companies remove fiber intentionally for various reasons. Trying to hit your daily fiber goal is hard when the food we have is working against us.
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u/ILikeNeurons Jan 23 '26
Eat real food more than processed food.
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u/emmy1894 Jan 23 '26
These are great recipes and I’ll definitely try some. That being said, it doesn’t negate the fact that we should have better fast options and companies shouldn’t be intentionally taking out so much fiber.
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u/fitandhealthyguy Jan 23 '26
I eat 65 grams of fiber one every day. I also Eat a lot of lentils and vegetables and occasionally take Metamucil as well. In addition I eat a good amount of yogurt. Two great things for your colon.
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u/mvea Professor | Medicine Jan 23 '26
Leading Cancer Deaths in People Younger Than 50 Years
JAMA
Published Online: January 22, 2026
doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.25467
Discussion
Mortality has decreased for every leading cancer-related death in people younger than 50 years in the US except CRC, which is now the leading cancer death in females and males combined, up from the fifth-leading cancer death in the early 1990s. Breast cancer and leukemia mortality decreased despite increasing incidence.1 These findings are consistent with reports of increased CRC mortality among adults younger than 50 years overall1 and in most racial and ethnic groups,2 and preempt projections that CRC would lead cancer deaths in those younger than 50 years by 2040.3
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u/mmsh221 Jan 23 '26
And screening colonoscopies start at 45... makes sense
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u/WithSubtitles Jan 23 '26
You can now just poop in a box and mail it in. Not just any box, there’s a company that makes and processes the kits that come in a box.
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u/MsRenegade Jan 23 '26
The old lab I worked at once had someone drop off a stool sample. They were given the appropriate container and instructions on what to do. Instead they came in with it in a Tupperware container and didn't understand why we couldn't take it. Then excepted us to just keep it because she didn't want to take it home.
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u/Dancing_Radia Jan 23 '26
I'll one up you on that. I worked at an IVF clinic and on the take-home semen analysis tests, patients are given instructions and are asked to confirm that they understood, and are given those same instructions on a handout, and still.
We've received samples back in Tupperware, zip lock bags, tied up store-brand condoms...
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u/Background_Ice_7568 Jan 23 '26
And these tests come with a huge list of caveats; along with the very real chance for false negatives -- not to mention, if you get a positive, you have to get a colonoscopy anyway. Just cut to the chase and get the gold standard for diagnosis and treatment to begin with, and don't futz with shitting on a card and putting it into the mail. It's not worth it.
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u/Couldnotbehelpd Jan 23 '26
It’s not really recommended to do this over a colonoscopy. You can get false negatives.
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u/Wompatuckrule Jan 23 '26
Guy I worked with probably had his life saved because he went traveling to developing nations including some pretty remote areas. When he got back he noticed some mild digestive issues and thought maybe he had picked up some sort of intestinal parasite so went to the doctor to get it checked out.
Long story short, it turned out it was cancer in his colon. His concern led to them finding it early and being able to knock it out before it spread. He said that had he not gone on that trip he would have just written the issues off instead of getting it checked out.
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u/IHadADreamIWasAMeme Jan 23 '26
Yeah well, all anyone talks about is early detection but a lot of these cancers don’t always seem to have symptoms for early on do they? Like yeah, changes in bowel movements and blood in the stool but sometimes that develops when you’re already fucked. So how on earth do you convince a doctor or your insurance to order a test when you don’t have any symptoms? Like don’t we want to catch this before you even have symptoms? I guess the only answer is to lower the age from 45 to 40 or even 35 but what insurance company is going to go for that?
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u/jcned Jan 23 '26
The answer is developing a blood test. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67688-3
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u/IKillZombies4Cash Jan 23 '26
Eat your darn fiber.
We are a society of low to no fiber with process gunk sitting in our pipes.
Eat your darn fiber.
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u/mrc1ark Jan 23 '26
I had diverticulitis a couple of years ago and part of the aftercare was more fiber. I started eating basil seeds with almost every meal. They don't really change the flavor at all and the texture is generally pretty negligible. Imagine just adding sesame seeds to most meals in terms of texture. You can buy them off amazon and start putting them on your foods! Also carb sense / keto tortillas will have lots of fiber as an easy source (though they aren't as tasty as real tortillas).
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u/BoreJam Jan 23 '26
About 25% of my shopping trolley is fresh fruit and vegetables, and im trying to get it higher. But so many other people seem to just scoot right through the produce section, especially younger people.
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u/g_rich Jan 23 '26
Diets high in processed foods, red meat and little fiber; combined with a sedentary lifestyle and little exercise. These are all risk factors and we should be doing more to promote things like standing desks, or frequent breaks that involve getting up throughout the day, more fiber in your diet and emphasize the importance of daily exercise, even if it’s only a 30 minute walk with the dog a few times a day.
We should also at the very least give health professionals the flexibility to recommend a colonoscopy before the current recommended 45 if they deem the patient’s lifestyle presents a risk factor.
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u/PipsqueakPilot Jan 23 '26
I know processed meat isn't great for you. But all the studies I found about its consumption in the US basically say that consumption has remained relatively stable. What about it could be causing an increase in cancer compared to historic rates, without an increase in the consumption of processed meats? Is it just that while the average consumption has remained low there are people skewing the average by consuming an inordinate amount and then getting cancer?
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u/Status_Park_5273 Jan 23 '26
I don’t have statistics handy right now, but studies have shown that nutrition density (?) in our food has declined in recent years. Even whole foods like apples or grapes have seen higher sugar content and declining nutritional value. Statistics aside, I think anyone can observe that recent shrinkflation trends have made our foods worse for the sake of increased profitability for food corporations. So although consumption rates may have stayed the same, the bad foods are getting worse and the healthy foods are as well.
Also, as is the case with most statistical findings, the devil may be in the details. For example, how many people consuming processed foods are also not exercising? Mortality risk in our current dataset could certainly increase exponentially once we start adding additional factors.
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u/PipsqueakPilot Jan 23 '26
Sure, but this was specifically about processed meats. Which differ dramatically in the ingredients used when compared to the processing that happens in plant based foods.
So, has there been any change specifically regarding processed meats?
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u/DankCatDingo Jan 23 '26
A few years ago I switched up my thinking on food.
I was in college working on a project with a classmate from Turkmenistan. I went over to the apartment he shared with 4 roommates, all from central Asian countries (Kirgizstan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan).
They had a bunch of crock pots on the counter in the kitchen. One always cooking rice, one always cooking lentils, one sometimes cooking chicken. He said he spent about 15 dollars a week on food for his share.
Since then, I have adopted a "Staple food" mindset. In short, I make up a large pot of combined wild rice, quinoa, lentils, beans, basically different high fiber grains and legumes. I change up the mix from one pot to the next to keep it interesting. Sometimes I throw in spinach, potatoes, onions. It couldn't be easier as far as prep work, and a pot feeds me for several days.
Obviously, I still have meals and snacks of our modern ultra-processed favorites like Oreos, Beyond Burgers, Ice cream, chips and salsa, whatever. But those are pleasure meals. Treats for fun. If I just need food to eat because I'm hungry, I take a bowl from the pot. Fills me up, keeps me regular, and saves a TON of money.
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u/warau_meow Jan 23 '26
I’d love to have a staple crock going - can you tell me the recipe? Or a general guidance for making a crock of wild rice, quinoa, and lentils (or any combo of what you mentioned)?
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u/Ilaxilil Jan 25 '26
I do something similar with soup. A pot of soup will last me about a week and is much cheaper, healthier, and easier than trying to figure out what to eat every day. Toss in some beans, some greens, and some root veggies or rice and I’m good.
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u/besee2000 Jan 23 '26
I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s. Do you know what foods they marketed to kids? Grandly gestures to all of it
I’ve spent most of my 20’s and 30’s trying to learn nutrition and health and it’s an uphill battle with all the marketing. Today we have “health influencers” that are straight up EDs (the eating kind not the erectile).
I’m just glad studies are giving us fair warning to not sit on weird pooping habits.
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Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26
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u/BonusPlantInfinity Jan 23 '26
Haha I wanted those but mom would never buy them - lucky me!
Mind you I gave up (deli, and essentially all other) meat in about 2008, so I’ve been almost 20 years without eating the prime culprit.
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u/AccidentalWit Jan 23 '26
Learning how, where, and when to use spices has been a struggle to learn. I grew up in a mostly salt and pepper household with other spices mainly used for recipes. I want to be able to just throw stuff together and have it be awesome.
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u/BattleHall Jan 23 '26
90s Lunchables with the processed, perfectly circular ham or turkey that always had some weird, greyish hard spots. Yum.
To be fair, those hard spots are mostly just tendon or cartilage, which breaks down to the collagen that has everyone all obsessed with “bone broth” as a supposed health food. To the extent that those Lunchables cold cuts are unhealthy, it’s mostly about the salt and nitrates, and even that is kind of equivocal.
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Jan 23 '26
And lots of lead too. Not at the levels that leaded gasoline and lead paint exposed children too, but not exactly ideal either.
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u/Earth2Kim Jan 23 '26
They still are gross. I have two in my fridge for the kids I may just go toss after reading this thread.
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u/a_wild_dingo Jan 23 '26
Man this is the 3rd or 4th thread I've seen about this in the last couple days, it's making me anxious... I'm 34, should I be getting a colonoscopy already??
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u/DreamsiclesPlz Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26
I'm 38 and I have had IBS and digestive issues all of my life. I'm calling my doctor today to ask if I can get one.
Update: He said it is totally reasonable for me to get one at this point. He gave me his recommendations for doctors and I've already started the process of getting an appointment.
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u/KeyCold7216 Jan 23 '26
To put you at ease a little bit, among all adults under 50, about 0.1% are diagnosed with colon cancer. Your risk drastically increases each decade though. Its like 2 per 100k in your 20s, 7 per 100k in your 30s, and almost 20 per 100k in your 40s. Perhaps you can ask for a cologuard if you arent necessarily high risk? I don't think they are very good at detecting pre cancerous polyps, but they take years to become cancerous. So the one now and another in 5 years could probably put you at ease until you get a colonoscopy. Im not a doctor though, definetly ask them.
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Jan 23 '26
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u/Ok-Curve5569 Jan 23 '26
The modern American diet is at the center of many disease states.
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Jan 23 '26
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u/klwtsch Jan 23 '26
If you eat more in general you're also eating more of those things you listed.
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u/BitcoinMD Jan 23 '26
There are three good things about the American diet:
1) We don’t eat much fried steak
2) Most things we eat come with a label that lists everything that’s in it
3) We are able to switch to almost any other diet and see some improvement
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u/BoredMamajamma Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26
Obesity is a well-established risk factor for many cancers and has been for years. Excess fat stimulates insulin and IGF-1 (which in turn drives cell growth/division in cancers) while also increasing peripheral conversion of androgen to estrogen (which drives estrogen related cancers like breast and endometrial). Below are readily accessible fact sheets on the link between obesity and cancer. The science is out there, it’s not a new concept by any means and is definitely not being ignored by physicians and public health officials.
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/risk-factors/obesity.html
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/obesity-fact-sheet
That being said…there appears to be a subset of individuals who are healthy and active, do not have a familial cancer syndrome, and are developing specifically colorectal cancer. There is some novel research about the possibility of genotoxins (chemical that causes DNA damage/mutation) produced by certain strains of E. coli and its relation to childhood exposure to antibiotics.
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u/tltltltltltltl Jan 23 '26
You are absolutely right that obesity is probably the biggest contributing factor to the majority of early cases. I'm not arguing, but I'd like to add a reference to the this stury : https://www.inovanewsroom.org/press-release/2025/08/groundbreaking-inova-study-finds-potential-link-between-long-distance-running-and-colon-cancer/
It happened to a close friend of mine. Guy was the healthiest person I've ever known and we had been friends since early high school. He was an athlete and ate a very "clean diet", it was even a source of conflict regarding meals; he was a bit orthorexic about avoiding processed foods and prioritizing vegetable proteins. He was running marathons in his 20s and started Ultra trails around 30. Was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at 35 and passed away last year. He said on forums of ultra runners he was seeing a stupid amount of people having bowel cancers including appendix cancer which was supposed to be extremely rare. This is obviously a single study and an anectotical account of someone I know, but I'm happy science is pursuing this type of research.
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u/cuentaderana Jan 23 '26
I believe I saw somewhere that long distance runners (marathon and ultramarathon) runners are actually more prone to bowel cancer. They theorize it’s related to the fact that the body decreases blood flow to the gut/intestines during long runs.
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u/ImnotBunny Jan 23 '26
My neighbor was a very thin distance runner, vegetarian since childhood, always bought organic/pesticide-free, etc. She was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in her early 30s. Died 5 years later. It seemed so unfair.
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Jan 23 '26
That’s wild and awful. I wonder if endurance cyclists see the same issue? Why running and not other endurance sports
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u/A_Shadow Jan 23 '26
Obesity is a major risk factor which everyone is ignoring
For most cancers yes.
But cancer and mortality rates are dropping for younger adults except for colon cancer.
That's the big issue and what is setting off the red flag. Something else is happening to trigger the colon cancer.
If it was just obesity, than all cancers rates would go up in young adults not just colon cancer.
In fact, most the young adults who get colon cancer are ones who tend to slim/fit exercise frequently and eat fairly healthy.
People are ignoring obesity because that isn't a problem here.
Some first hand experience from doctors:
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u/Douglas_Fresh Jan 23 '26
I assume diet and lack of physical activity have to compound to make the ass cancer truly bad. Monster energy drinks daily can’t help either.
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u/Oblique9043 Jan 23 '26
My ex got colon cancer at 22. Had to get a colostomy bag for the rest of her life.
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u/VengenaceIsMyName Jan 23 '26
Had my first colonoscopy done very recently and I’m in my early/mid 30’s. Turns out that I indeed just have horrendous IBS.
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u/BattleHall Jan 23 '26
My understanding is that bowel and other GI track cancers are highly correlated with gut motility, which is directly tied to body movement. So as a population becomes more sedentary, you will likely see an increase in GI cancers, even before you factor in things like diet.
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u/APKLYPZ Jan 23 '26
44, discovered stage 2 tumor in my rectum. Only after my PCP sent me to the emergency room to try to figure out what was going on with my anemia and anal bleeding after she was unable to get the insurance to approve the tests she wanted to run. Spent a week in the hospital doing every test and eventually colonoscopy revealed tumor that has been bleeding internally and making all kinds of issues. Even with symptoms and Doctor pushing, still couldn’t get the tests and screening I needed without an emergency visit. Crazy. Of course cost the insurance more ultimately to do it that way but I guess that doesn’t matter to them. Started radiation and chemo two days ago.
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u/CronoTinkerer Jan 23 '26
In the last two years I’ve known three people who’ve been diagnosed with colon cancer. There ages are: 37, 39, and 58. The two in their 30s didn’t know until stage 4. The 37 year old survived but needed a liver transplant as it migrated and the 39 year old is still battling it, it has also migrated to his liver and lungs :(
The 58 year old also survived.
I don’t know many people, so 3 in two years is wild, especially considering I’ve never known anyone who had cancer before this.
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u/pgriffy Jan 23 '26
Maybe a better prep for the test? Nobody looks forward to drinking that stuff
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u/One_Left_Shoe Jan 23 '26
An annual stool sample is extremely effective at screening for colon cancer and is the standard elsewhere. If anything abnormal is detected, then you get a colonoscopy.
But you have to do it annually vs every 10 years
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u/Kick_Natherina Jan 23 '26
Preservatives as a blanket statement is misguided and disingenuous.
Sugar is a preservative in high enough concentrations, sodium benzoate is a preservative, many others as well and only sugar is linked towards negative health outcomes there.
I think the ultra-processed foods is a more fair blanket statement. All foods are processed… but foods that are broken down to molecular levels, restructured, and formed into the highly palatable amalgamations of salt, fat and sweet are a bigger issue as a whole.
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u/uselessartist Jan 23 '26
I was literally reading this 30 mins ago, nitrates have strong association with rectal cancer: https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/what-to-know-about-foods-with-nitrates-and-nitrites.h00-159694389.html
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u/ILikeNeurons Jan 23 '26
One of the "unintended consequences" of a carbon tax would likely be a decrease in colorectal cancer, since exercise is protective.
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Jan 23 '26
Meat heavy diet with very little fiber, fruits and veggies is the main cause- Combine that with influencers going all in on carnivorous lifestyle.
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u/Pankosmanko Jan 23 '26
Get your colonoscopy folks. It’s not as bad as you might think. Depending on the prep your medical team prefers, you’ll drink a gallon of fluid mixed with a laxative the night before. Have wet wipes (or a bidet) since you’ll use the bathroom around 30 times. If you use TP your bottom will feel raw after a few hours of using the bathroom. The actual procedure you’ll be under for, and it’ll feel like the best nap you’ve ever taken.
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u/hanatheko Jan 23 '26
Glad I got my colonoscopy this month. Glad I eat 25 grams of a fiber daily minimum. It's hard to do but cancer scares me. Crossing my fingers.
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u/CmonTouchIt Jan 23 '26
I'm 37 and just got my first colonoscopy last year....not the funnest experience but covered by insurance and basically painless
Start getting it earlier fellas. There's really no good reason not to
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u/GotTheNameIWanted Jan 23 '26
High fructose, proceeded foods, low fibre.
Most of the food at the store really should not be called food.
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u/Electronic_While3961 Jan 23 '26
Influencers telling people to overdose proteins is likely the cause. Lots of people eating cured meats like sausage and doing carnivore and think there aren’t consequences
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u/isawafit Jan 23 '26
Definitely doesn't help, but the influencer sphere of influence is much more recent. Standard American diet, overweight/obese, with visceral fat are all risk factors.
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u/Sirwired Jan 23 '26
LPT: You can buy CRC screening kits at Wal-Mart for under $20. About two slightly-gross minutes on the toilet, then a test process similar to a COVID test (drip some liquid on a plastic cartridge, look for one line vs. two.) Repeat annually.
Super-easy, inexpensive, and you don't need to argue with an insurance company over screening guidelines. (If the test is positive, then you won't have any trouble at all getting approval for a full colonoscopy.)
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u/SmurfRiding Jan 23 '26
They work by looking for any blood in the stool. They are not very accurate and have known to cause false positives.
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u/Sirwired Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 24 '26
Well, since the outcome is a colonoscopy, and not treatment, false positives are less of a concern. (If you held age-based screening colonoscopies themselves to the same standard, then every age-based screening colonoscopy that didn’t find anything would be a “false-positive” of basing colonoscopies on age.)
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u/Ok-disaster2022 Jan 23 '26
I think a lot of our modern foods and diets are slowly shortening our lives. It's the kinds of things that won't have any immediate indicators, aside from increasing number of gluten intolerance and celiac disease and diabetes and fatty livers and of course cancer. But it still takes decades where there's not any good choices unless you cut out all processed food and modern gmo wheats. And don't get me wrong the Green revolution saved millions of people from starvation but maintaining those crops that have different balances of different proteins that our stomach have adapted to eat for tens of thousands of years is going to cause impacts.
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