Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re a millennial, like me. If so, you’ve probably noticed in your friends or acquaintances more and more cases of the diseases you usually associate with later adulthood – high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or maybe even the one we’re all afraid to name: cancer,
millennium – People born between 1981 and 1995 – are the first generation to have a higher risk of developing tumors than their parents. Early onset cases reported between 1990 and 2019 cancer There has been a 79 percent increase in deaths among people under 50 worldwide, and the death rate has increased by 28 percent.
The truth is that about 80 percent of cancers are “sporadic,” meaning they are not caused by hereditary mutations but by external factors that damage DNA over time. This includes what we eat and breathe, as well as our levels of physical activity, rest, stress, and exposure to harmful substances.
In other words, the things that make the biggest difference are the lifestyle factors that surround us every day, not the genetics we inherit. And we know that our parents and grandparents had very different lifestyles than us.
Effect of diet on the body
One of the main factors behind this “new epidemic” is diet. Childhood obesity began to skyrocket in the 1980s. According to WHO, more than 390 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 were overweight in 2022 – 160 million of these were obese.
This condition is not just a question of aesthetics: it is associated with insulin resistance, low-grade chronic inflammation and hormonal changes that increase the risk of developing colorectal, breast or endometrial. cancer,
Most importantly, the effects of childhood obesity do not stop with age. According to the Colon Cancer Foundation, a meta-analysis involving more than 4.7 million people showed that people with a high body mass index (BMI) in early life have a greater risk of developing colorectal cancer in adulthood: 39 percent higher in men and 19 percent higher in women compared with those who had a healthy BMI in childhood.
Changes in diet have also altered our gut microbiota. It has been shown that a diet rich in ultra-processed foods reduces bacterial diversity, and increases the proportion of strains producing pro-inflammatory metabolites.
This contributes to gastrointestinal diseases like irritable bowel syndrome, or SIBO, which often appear to be endemic. millennium – Ask a group of thirty people who among them suffers from gastrointestinal problems and you will find that some hands are left empty handed.
invisible effects of alcohol
the second one is the biggest culprit LiquorBecause millennial gatherings often revolve around a table full of food and drink. For years it was thought that a glass of wine could somehow “protect” you, but today we know that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption: the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as a Group 1 carcinogen, at the same level as tobacco. This is because the body converts ethanol into acetaldehyde, a compound that damages DNA.
Furthermore, consumption patterns vary between generations. While baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) drink more on a daily basis, millennium They drink less frequently but drink more alcohol, which carries significant risks. This is confirmed by the 2024 EDADES survey of the Spanish Ministry of Health, which detects different levels of risk associated with different behaviors across generations.
And, as if that weren’t enough, a recent study from the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology found that many beers contain perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These chemicals, also known as “forever chemicals”, are linked to higher rates of testicular and kidney cancer.
not enough sleep
We Sleep Fewer and worse than previous generations. Recent surveys show that Millennials and Generation Z get an average of 30-45 minutes less sleep per night than Baby Boomers, largely due to increased exposure to screens and social media at night. This artificial light inhibits the release of melatonin, an antioxidant hormone that regulates the cell cycle.
Chronic lack of sleep not only impairs DNA repair but also reduces melatonin’s protective effects against cancer. Low levels of this hormone have been linked to a decreased ability to counteract oxidative DNA damage and increased cell proliferation.
Furthermore, disrupted circadian rhythms interfere with the expression of genes that are important for DNA repair. This means that mutations accumulate over time, increasing the risk of tumor-forming processes.
stress load
Millennials are probably the generation with the highest cortisol levels. When this “stress hormone” remains elevated for a long time, it not only promotes insulin resistance and high blood pressure, but also weakens the immune system.
Research shows that chronic stress increases inflammation, hinders the body’s defenses from eliminating abnormal cells, and can even “wake up” dormant tumor cells. In fact, studies conducted in the general population have shown that people with high stress levels are twice as likely to die from cancer as those who manage stress better.
About the author
Lidia Begoña Hornadler Gil is Professor in Immunology and Cancer Biology at Universidad San Jorge. This article is republished from Conversation Under Creative Commons license. read the original article,
Risks of Self-Medication
Finally, younger generations also resort to self-medication more than previous generations. This creates new short-term and long-term risks.
Repeated use of paracetamol has been linked to liver damage and a possible increase in liver cancer. Long-term use of oral contraceptive pills slightly increases the risk of breast and cervical cancer due to delayed childbearing, although they protect against ovarian and endometrial cancer.
Additionally, long-term use of antacids and antibiotics has been linked to an increased risk of digestive cancer through indirect mechanisms such as exposure to carcinogenic compounds or intestinal dysbiosis (an imbalance in the gut microbiota).
What does the future hold for the Millennial generation?
The projections are worrying. It is expected that cancer cases could increase from about 20 million in 2022 to about 35 million in 2050 – an overall increase of about 77 percent. This trend is particularly seen in digestive and gynecological tumors, which are becoming more common in young adults.
We are the generation of urgency, anxiety and quick-fix pills, but all is not lost, because we can take control of many of the factors that make us ill, starting today. Adopting healthy habits can reduce the risks, and improve our quality of life in a future that is not as distant as we would like to believe.