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

Cancer crisis in young people may be fueled by drinks adored by teens

They are used by millions of workers to power through afternoon slumps. But highly caffeinated…

Mail Online

By EMILY JOSHU HEALTH REPORTER IN CHICAGO FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

They are used by millions of workers to power through afternoon slumps.

But highly caffeinated energy drinks could be partly fueling the explosion of colorectal cancers in 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 gut that speeds up 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 biggest cancer conference this week, the team announced a new human trial that will test their hypothesis, which so far is based on animal studies.

They plan to discover whether drinking an energy drink every day causes levels of cancer-causing gut bacteria to rise.