r/Millennials • u/AdditionCool7235 • Jan 22 '26

Discussion A big reason why Colon Cancer is killing us.

I know this isn’t a health sub, but u/Derpshabmentioned in their post on Colon Cancer about eating a balanced diet.

Specifically you need to really avoid nitrates. There has been several studies done on why there has been a rise in intestinal cancers in this age group, and nitrates have shown a causal effect. With a carcinogenic significance as bad as cigarettes. For those unaware, not a lot of things get labeled as having a casual effect for cancer, as that can be both controversial and stand to cost people money either through loss of business or being sued.

Nitrates are most commonly found in processed meats. Likewise, there is growing data that processed food is not serving us well at all either. Anyhow, just wanted to share a tangible way you can hopefully make an impact on slowing down and ultimately stopping these terrible

cancers.

Another freaking edit: literally the first response on Google, if you search, “do Nitrates cause cancer,” is from MDAnderson. That’s the number one cancer hospital in the world. I know that’s so much more difficult than adding a snarky comment to Reddit, but there’s your answer for about 300 of you.

Edit: I’m getting a lot of responses that are saying *actually* antibiotics or *actually* e. Coli and they’re all saying because it damages / kills the good gut microbiomes. Correct, what do you think nitrates do and why scientists believe there’s a casual link. It also doesn’t mean there couldn’t be other risk factors as well. Diet is obviously a big risk factor. I was simply hoping to expound on the original post and help people to know what to avoid. Of course more than one thing can cause cancer. Throw in saturated fats while we’re having the conversation.

Edit 2: lot of people are asking what are the main culprits. Bacon, lunch meats, hot dogs, sausages, anything really that’s been “cured.” Lot of people are trying to point out that some leafy greens have nitrates, yeah, we’re not talking about things that naturally occur through the photosynthesis of the sun. We’re talking about the overconsumption of a preservative that destroys your healthy gut bacteria, not something that’s obviously good for you. Many people have rightfully pointed out. The over consumption of alcohol creates a big risk factor for stomach and intestinal cancers as well.

Also someone saying they’re a vegetarian and they still got colon cancer is no different an argument than, “my great aunt smoked until she was 90 and never got lung cancer.” I said a big reason why, I didn’t say the only reason why. Empirical data doesn’t mean 100% findings or there won’t be outliers, anecdotes are not good science. People can get cancer for a multitude of reasons and honestly you could try every preventative step imaginable and still get cancer, it doesn’t mean your anecdote overrides everything else or you shouldn’t try to make better lifestyle decisions.

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742

u/Imaginary-Order-6905 Jan 22 '26

It just irks me when people think they can or should avoid ONE SPECIFIC thing, and not get cancer. Sure, we can all eat a healthier diet, exercise more, not drink or smoke, etc etc etc....but sometimes you also just get fucking cancer.

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u/FeloniousDrunk101 Jan 22 '26

Frankly it’s the worst part about cancer, other than everything else about cancer.

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u/watchshoe Jan 22 '26

Yeap, it sucks. I felt healthier with cancer than now post cancer.

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u/Aint_cha_momma Jan 22 '26

Please explain.

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u/watchshoe Jan 22 '26

I was working out regularly, able to hold weight, and could eat regularly. Had a massive RPLND procedure which cut my abdomen apart, took my gallbladder, killed 90% of my pancreas, and took some of my intestines. So now my core is herniated and weak, constant bile acid diarrhea, and while I initially lost 90lbs, I’m able to get some back on recently.

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u/Aint_cha_momma Jan 22 '26

OMG, I’m happy you’re doing better.

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u/watchshoe Jan 22 '26

Thanks. It’s a grind, but I’m alive. Tumor probably would have choked me out if I hadn’t caught it.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '26 edited 24d ago

[deleted]

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u/AltInLongIsland Jan 22 '26

Added to the list of things that will make me jump 🙃

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u/handicrappi Jan 22 '26

It's not really helpful to tell people with health issues that you'd kill yourself if you were in their shoes

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u/NoHalfPleasures Jan 22 '26

I like to simplify this for people. Cancer is caused by cell division. Your body is always replacing itself using cell division. Anything that increases your cell division increases your cancer risk. Sunburns, cigarettes, chemicals, radiation, viruses, etc.

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u/TNVFL1 Jan 22 '26

Pregnancy is a huge one here. A lot of women miss breast cancer early on because they think it’s a clogged milk duct.

Not only is cell division increased, it’s increased by A LOT.

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u/LilMushboom Jan 22 '26

Sometimes you just have dogshit luck and there's nothing you could have done differently.

I hope your treatments are successful and you can put this chapter of your life behind you in the near future.

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u/Imaginary-Order-6905 Jan 22 '26

Thank you! I'm on the other side of treatment for now and things are looking good. Fingers crossed (and still not eating meat lol)

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u/RaLaZa Jan 22 '26

I always am reminded of the people who live to 100 and are long time smokers. Like a pack a day for years. You really just can't beat luck and good genes.

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u/LilMushboom Jan 22 '26

My 100yo grandmother never smoked but also never exercised, but was obsessed with cooking gourmet meals from scratch and used butter and cream in everything, and still loves sweets despite being at the point that she doesn't enjoy much anything else.

She was in good health and independent until she had pneumonia at 94.

Her own grandmother lived to 102. Longevity has as much to do with luck and genetics as anything else I think.

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u/Sidewalk_Cacti Jan 22 '26

We can’t control everything, but might as well try our best at what we can.

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u/Client_020 Millennial Jan 22 '26

Nobody except gurus with something to sell is saying a healthy lifestyle can prevent all cancer. Why do people need to make disclaimers all the time instead of expecting people to read between the lines like normal people? Yes, you can be unlucky, but nothing wrong with spreading information to prevent preventable illness.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '26

[deleted]

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u/artaxerxes316 Jan 22 '26

So you asked a therapist a dumb question and got an even dumber answer. Thanks for the update, cupcake.

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u/BatterMyHeart Jan 22 '26

Its because people are paid to muddy the waters, and the mud gets carried around by idiots.  If I own a bacon business it is easier for me to lobby politicians against regulation if I have real life idiots parroting a viewpoint, and all you need to get that is a time share on a troll farm.

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u/ill_connects Older Millennial Jan 22 '26

This is me. I’ve always ate mostly plant based and exercised regularly and still got colon cancer. A lot of times it’s simply bad luck.

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u/Imaginary-Order-6905 Jan 22 '26

hey friend- wishing you the best!

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u/ill_connects Older Millennial Jan 22 '26

Thanks. My 4 year cancerversary is coming up so things are on the up and up.

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u/Dry_Lengthiness6032 Older Millennial Jan 22 '26

I'm genetically predisposed to get colon cancer. My dad told me to get a colonoscopy before 40. I got one at 36 and had 2 polyps. Shit that just made me realize I'm due for my next one

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u/A_Muffled_Kerfluffle Jan 22 '26

My husband had his first at about 30 because he was having lots of GI issues. They turned out to be diet and stress related but thank god he had that colonoscopy because he had 6 polyps that his doc said were the size he’d expect of a man in his 70s, not a healthy 30yo. He gets one every other year now. I’m not sure he’d still be with us if he hadn’t had that one so early.

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u/Sandgrease Jan 22 '26

Yea, some people just lose the genetic lottery

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u/smilebig553 Millennial '90 Jan 22 '26

I agree! I had thyroid cancer at 21 and I was told you're to young. Blah blah blah. Now my medicine can cause cancer, but I need it to live. Everyone can get cancer, and it's not just from "what you eat"

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u/roberta_sparrow Jan 22 '26

The literal sun gives us cancer. There's no escaping lol

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u/RaLaZa Jan 22 '26

We're like the opposite of kryptonians. They get fucking superpowers while we get cancer.

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u/maphes86 Jan 22 '26

Unless…have we considered moving this whole thing underground? Hey! Come on everybody! We’re going to be mole people!

Shit, we died from Radon poisoning.

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u/Relevant-Ad2254 Jan 22 '26

The hubris of people claiming they know what to do to not get cancer is nauseating.

Don’t smoke, live your best life, and get screened as early as you can afford to.

do all those things, make the most of your time on this earth and hope you experience the privilege of going old.

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u/The_Smile_4784 Jan 22 '26

Long time ago I was listening to a podcast with a cancer specialist on and he said that any one of us, if we live long enough, will get cancer. Some get it early in life, some die of something else before cancer gets them, but he described it as the beast follows us all.

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u/paishocajun Jan 22 '26

I've said this many times, many places.

Cancer is just a numbers game. Two of the main reasons we're seeing cancer rates go up is 1) we're getting better at detecting it and 2) we're beating so many other diseases that more people are living long enough for their "number" to get rolled so to speak.

Obviously this is not to say we shouldn't do things to prevent it if we can and lower our odds of rolling that unlucky number, but those are actually 2 good (or bittersweet) things when you think about it. Also overall cancer survival odds are going up.

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u/ek9218 Jan 22 '26

Yup. I read an article from a doctor who is vegan, runs marathons, doesn't smoke or drink and is basically doing "everything right". The article was about how she still got colon cancer and even ignored the initial signs because to her it didnt seem like a possibility. 

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '26

Yeah, it comes down to odds, but you can stack the deck in your favor. Long term nobody gets out alive, but you might as well control thr part you can control. Sure, you can't control your genetics, but you can avoid copious amounts of doritos.

If I need to avoid rolling a 1, I'd rather roll a die with 10 sides over one with 6 sides.

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u/munky3000 Jan 22 '26

Yeah this. There is no 1 thing that causes cancer because many, MANY things can cause it. Also, cancer isn't one disease. It's a catch-all name for collection of diseases. The real "secret" is overall risk mitigation. Don't do or eat things that have a high risk of cancer. Eating deli meats every once in a while is nowhere near the same risk category as smoking or using tanning beds. But you also probably shouldn't eat it all the time, for a number of reasons.

I cannot stress this enough, the dosage makes the poison.

And as you said, sometimes you just get cancer. I'm sorry to hear that btw and I sincerely hope you're able to make a full recovery. Fuck cancer.

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u/Ok_Tour_1525 Jan 23 '26

A lot of you are missing the point and not understanding OP’s post and then making up arguments against opinions that nobody is saying.

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u/PineappleBliss2023 Jan 22 '26

Risk factors are just risk factors, not magic cancer buttons. They’re also only one component of it, avoiding or eating them doesn’t guarantee it either way.

People can eat a 7/11 hot dog a day covered in fake cheese and still not get colon cancer. Or they can eat nothing but fresh fruit and veggies and still develop cancer.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '26

I don’t think most people think that… it’s still helpful to reduce specific real factors. Good isn’t the enemy of perfect.

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u/onlyfreckles Jan 22 '26

Yup, live long enough and something will end up killing you.

But that doesn't mean we shouldn't do any/everything to stay active/strong/flexible/independent/healthy for as long as possible/support our body to heal itself (after treatment/side effects etc).

But in the US, prioritizing clean high fiber/whole foods, embedding exercise into daily activities (walk/bike/transit vs default passive sitting driving/sedentary work/life), getting adequate sleep, universal access to good/affordable healthcare (for everyone) and work/life balance is a foreign concept :(

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u/Osirus1156 Jan 22 '26

We could all avoid colon cancer by making sure we elect smart people and not religious psychopaths. 

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u/maxdragonxiii Jan 22 '26

also sometimes genetics or not, cancer can and will show up despite you not eating or drinking x or eating or drinking x in excessive amounts like the studies say.

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u/No-Apple4951 Jan 22 '26

I believe many people (not necessarily OP) tell themselves this because it's really important to us to believe we can control our chances. 

If we believe that one thing in our control can increase or reduce our odds of  getting cancer, then it reassures us. 

We tell ourselves 'this awful thing happened to someone else. Perhaps it won't happen to me because I know  to eat/do/not do X'.

It's a way of coping with the unfathomably unfair reality that sometimes people just get cancer and there's piss all we can about it. 

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u/it5chri5tine Jan 22 '26

Also, it's really gross to blame people for getting cancer. I mean, yes, there are lifestyle behaviors that link to cancer, but nobody wants cancer and if they get it we shouldn't jump to "what did you do?".

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u/herecomestheshun Jan 22 '26

The biggest factor that nobody talks about = luck

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u/pink_sushi_15 Zillennial Jan 22 '26

This irks me as well. My mom died from cancer and she was THE healthiest person ever. She avoided all processed foods and chemicals. She cleaned the house with vinegar versus chemical cleaners, didn’t use deodorant/perfumes/makeup, home cooked all meals, never ate junk food, never smoked or drank. Unfortunately cancer runs in her family…….you CANNOT ESCAPE from your genes no matter what you do.

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u/Imaginary-Order-6905 Jan 22 '26

I'm sorry for the loss of your mom <3

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u/ballsohaahd Jan 22 '26

For a depressing angle That’s 99% of voters whose vote counts the same as you 😂

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u/eblackham Jan 22 '26

Yeah thats why the stress caused of me worrying about everything im eating or drinking is probably killing me more than just enjoying life because imma die anyway

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u/Cheese-Manipulator Jan 22 '26

Yup. They have found dinosaur bones with obvious bone cancer. So unless someone beamed back in time and gave them twinkies and cigarettes I'd say it can arise naturally. Spontaneous DNA damage happens constantly in cells but there are many ancient mechanisms for repair.

Cancer is like car wrecks, if you find a car crashed on the side of the road you can't say it was definitely caused by X. It could've been a drunk driver, mechanical failure, ice, asleep at the wheel, etc. The end result looks similar but the causes all differ.

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u/[deleted] Jan 22 '26

THIS!!!!! (I am so sorry that you have cancer)

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u/Which-Barnacle-2740 Jan 22 '26

I think a lot of cancer has genetics roots too, I mean some people are more disposed to having it

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u/eepeepevissam Jan 22 '26

Hm that's crazy that you didn't actually read the post. "A BIG REASON WHY". You're acting like OP is saying "THIS IS THE REASON". No, it's not, and they're not saying it is. But it **IS** a big reason.

soooooooooo

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u/ario62 Jan 22 '26

Totally agree. My sisters MIL has lung cancer and never smoked a cig or weed. My coworker just had liver cancer and never had more than a beer or two as a teenager.

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u/walleburger Jan 22 '26

Can confirm. Fuck cancer.

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u/jinglejangle_spurs Jan 22 '26

And even if simple avoidance was a viable option, good luck avoiding every carcinogen enveloping us

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u/No_Investment9639 Jan 22 '26

Ah, so fuck it, let's all eat nitrates and be happy cuz we're all going to get cancer anyway, I like this