As doctors search for the cause of a mystery rise in colon cancers in young people, a new study has pinpointed two simple ways you can lower your risk.
Eating within an eight-hour time window and practicing mindfulness was found to shed fat and reduce harmful inflammation in the gut linked to the disease.
In the eight-week trial, participants also saw improvements to their insulin and blood-sugar levels, which are both believed to play a role in the formation of colon tumors.
The University of Illinois researchers described the results as ‘promising’, given how easy both habits are to follow and how quick the benefits seem to take effect.
Volunteers in the study were between the ages of 18 and 40 – the age group for whom colon cancers are rising quickest – and had obesity. They also scored high for psychological stress.
It is thought that being overweight and stressed out triggers chronic inflammation and hormonal imbalances in the body, creating a perfect storm for cancer formation.
The study saw volunteers restricted to eating between 12 – 8 p.m. and practice a basic daily mindfulness routine involving breathwork and sitting quietly with closed eyes.
In eight weeks, those who stuck to both habits lost an average of 4.2 lbs compared to just 0.2 lbs in the control group who made no lifestyle changes.
The former also saw improvements to their stress scores, insulin and glucose levels, as well as a drop in visceral fat mass – the most dangerous type of fat linked to cancer.
No significant changes were observed in the control group.
Writing in the paper, the research team said: ‘This study was feasible and well accepted by the participants.
‘Results were promising, indicating a potential synergy between time restricted eating and mindfulness for improving anthropometric, metabolic and colonic inflammation among young adults with obesity and moderate to severe perceived stress.’
The study of 42 participants also looked at the effects of following just one of the habits, finding less pronounced health benefits.
The results were published in the journal Nutrition.
Participants who took part in mindfulness exercises followed the ‘Mindfulness for Beginners’ program in the Calm app.
It involved a series of short, guided daily meditations about 10 minutes each, which involved simple, practical steps like focusing on breath, noticing thoughts and calming the body.
It is thought that mindfulness reduces food cravings by changing how the brain responds to urges.
When people practice mindfulness, they learn to observe cravings as passing sensations without immediately acting on them.
This weakens the link between feeling a craving and reaching for food or other substances such as alcohol or drugs.
Studies using brain imaging show that mindfulness dampens activity in the brain’s reward and craving centers, such as the amygdala and striatum, while strengthening self-control regions like the prefrontal cortex.
It comes amid an alarming rise in so-called early-onset colon cancers in people under the age of 50.
Rates among Americans in their 20s and 30s are expected to double by 2030 compared to 2010. In teens, cases have surged 500% since the early 2000s.
Rising rates of obesity are thought to be a factor.
In 2000, the overall adult obesity rate was around 20% compared to around 40% now.
But doctors say that does not tell the whole story.
Diets high in processed foods, which have been linked to inflammation, have also been suggested as a driver, as has rising stress levels in young people.
Other possible causes include the foodborne pathogen E. coli, gut changes linked to antibiotic use and changes to maternal health.
More mothers are now obese and older when they give birth, which may cause biological changes to their children.
It’s not just colon cancer that is rising in young people – rates of several types of cancer have been trending upwards in recent decades.
In a study published in May, researchers discovered 13 other cancers were found to be rising in under 50s: stomach, pancreatic, bone and joint cancers, melanoma, breast, cervical, uterine, testicular, kidney and four types of cancers of the lymph system.
