Colon cancer crisis in young people could be fueled by booming drinks brands adored by teens

They are used by millions of workers to get through the afternoon slump.

But energy drinks high in caffeine may be partly fueling the explosion of colorectal cancers among young people, US researchers warn.

They believe an ingredient in Red Bull and other top brands such as Celsius and Monster may be linked to bacteria in the intestines that accelerate tumor growth.

Researchers in Florida theorize that cancer cells use taurine — an amino acid thought to improve mental clarity — as their “primary energy source.”

At the world’s largest cancer conference this week, the team announced a new human trial that will test their hypothesis, which has so far been based on animal studies.

They want to discover whether drinking an energy drink every day increases the number of cancer-causing intestinal bacteria.

Energy drinks high in caffeine may partly fuel the explosion of colorectal cancers in young people, US researchers warn – based on new hypothesis

The above graph shows the rise of colorectal cancer in young Americans between 1999 and 2020

DailyMail.com revealed earlier this week how high-sugar, low-fiber diets may also be contributing to the under-50s bowel cancer epidemic.

The University of Florida researchers recruited about sixty people between the ages of 18 and 40 to be studied for four weeks.

Half of the group drinks at least one original Red Bull or Celsius, a sugar-free energy drink, per day and their courage is compared with a control group that does not.

The upcoming trial is “one of the first” studies to evaluate potential factors contributing to the meteoric development of colorectal cancer, the researchers say.

Early-onset cancers are still uncommon. About 90 percent of all cancers affect people over the age of 50.

But rates in younger age groups have increased by about 70 percent since the 1990s, with about 17,000 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year.

Energy drinks first appeared in the US in the 1940s with brands such as Dr. Enuf, but became popular after the introduction of Red Bull in 1997.

Red Bull’s aggressive marketing, which promoted the drinks as a way to increase attention, endurance and athletic performance, helped it gain popularity among young adults and students.

Now, about one in three Americans report regularly consuming energy drinks.

The new study, called the ROSANNA Trial, will recruit adults with no history of colon cancer.

All participants must report that they consume energy drinks less than twice per week and that they have no other gastrointestinal conditions.

The volunteers are divided into two groups of equal size. The first group drinks at least one Celsius (Sparkling Peach Vibes flavor) or Red Bull energy drink per day for four weeks, while the other group sticks to the normal diet.

Each participant must complete nutrition and fitness logs and weekly wellness diaries.

At baseline, two weeks and four weeks, blood, stool, urine, saliva and skin samples will be taken.

The aim of the study is to see whether the taurine in the drink, which young people consume six to 16 times the recommended amount, fuels bacteria that are ‘over-represented in CRC cases’.

These are called hydrogen sulfide (H2S) metabolizing bacteria, which are “linked to inflammation and may promote a pro-carcinogenic environment,” the team said.

Plans for the study were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), an international annual meeting in Chicago.

“These bacteria preferentially use taurine, an essential amino acid, as their primary energy source,” the team wrote.

The researchers expect a 20 to 30 percent increase in the levels of HS2-metabolizing bacteria, based on previous studies in mice.

‘This study represents one of the first prospective evaluations that may elucidate the reasons behind the increase in cases [early-onset colorectal cancer] and informing the creation of future prevention strategies,” the team wrote.

Registration will continue until autumn 2024.

a 2024 survey found that 32 percent of adults ages 18 to 29 report regularly consuming energy drinks, and 90 percent of Americans drink some form of caffeinated beverage every day.

Currently, the U.S. energy drink market is valued at approximately $23 billion, driven largely by sales of Red Bull, Monster and Celsius.

In addition to caffeine, which can total twice as much as a cup of coffee, drinks like Red Bull and Celsius contain high amounts of taurine.

This amino acid occurs naturally in proteins such as meat and fish.

Although taurine isn’t actually used to build proteins in the body like other amino acids, it has a number of functions, including regulating the amount of calcium in nerve cells and controlling inflammation.

Taurine is considered safe in small amounts, although high concentrations have been shown to cause vomiting, stomach upset, dizziness, fatigue, diarrhea and constipation.

Laboratory studies on taurine and cancer have yielded contractor results.

In some cases, the amino acid has been shown to stop tumor growth and spread by as much as 44 percent.

In other cases, it has been shown to prevent protective T cells from fighting cancer, which can cause the disease to become more aggressive.

There are no federal age limits for energy drinks in the US, but some areas have local restrictions for those under 18.

The drinks, especially sugary drinks, have been linked to insomnia, mood problems, dental problems and obesity.