<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="http://www.9news.com.au/queensland" rel="" target="" title="Queensland"><span>Queensland</span></a><span> </span><a href="http://www.9news.com.au/research" rel="" target="" title="researchers"><span>researchers</span></a><span> will study if the gut microbiome is linked to the alarming rise in bowel </span><a href="http://www.9news.com.au/cancer" rel="" target="" title="cancer"><span>cancer</span></a><span> among younger Australians.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While screening programs have helped reduce bowel cancer in people over 50, it remains one of our deadliest cancers with more than 5000 Australians dying from the disease each year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The rate of younger people being diagnosed is rising, with Australia now having the highest incidence of bowel cancer in the world in people under 50.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-17-donald-trump-pushes-allies-for-help-in-strait-of-hormuz/07b534e9-af93-4d00-91dc-58dba21ca969" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump unleashes on allies, missile shrapnel falls on holy sites</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Genetics haven't changed significantly in recent decades, so we're looking at environmental exposures — particularly the effect of diet," Mater Research's Associate Professor Jakob Begun said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Ultra-processed foods, high meat consumption, low fibre intake, as well as antibiotic use, are all likely influencing the microbiome in ways that increase cancer risk."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Research has shown that the food we eat and the composition of the gut microbiome has a significant impact on a range of diseases.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/bowel-disease-gut-microbiome-study-mater-research-queensland-health-news/41858c6a-9356-4a1d-abe0-68bc5d7a649d" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This new research looks at how environmental and dietary factors affect the gut microbiome and if certain bacteria drive the development and growth of tumours in the gut.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Begun's team will test how common food additives, such as artificial sweeteners and emulsifiers, affect gut bacteria and trigger inflammation, a known precursor to cancer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're treating microbiome samples from healthy people with additives to see if they become more inflammatory," Begun said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The next step is testing in preclinical models to see if these additives accelerate colorectal cancer progression."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The year-long study is funded by Mater and will involve around 20 volunteers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The team is also exploring whether a novel anti-inflammatory compound, originally developed to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), could help prevent colorectal cancer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More than five thousand people die from bowel cancer every year in Australia, making it one of the country's most deadly cancers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a 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