Why are cancer rates skyrocketing, and why is it rising in young people more?

Why Are Cancer Rates Skyrocketing, and why is it rising among young people? 

I get asked this question all the time, and it’s never easy to articulate because so many factors are at play. We do know that only 5% of cancer cases are directly related to genetics, leaving a staggering 95% connected to our environment.

More on this later. I wanted to share a great explanation from Dr. Nasha Winters, author of The Metabolic Approach to Cancer, regarding the question above.

It ultimately comes down to the mitochondria, often referred to as the “engine rooms” of our cells, where vital processes, including metabolism, occur. The mitochondria have three main jobs:

1. Receive Messages/Signals from Our Environment: The signals received from today’s modern world are vastly different from those just 100 years ago, influenced by toxins, chemicals, poor dietary choices, chronic light exposure, and sedentary lifestyles.
2. Translate Those Signals: As you can imagine, these signals can be quite mixed and confusing. Therefore, the translation can become dysregulated.
3. Communicate Back to the Body: This step involves sending out these signals to the body, organs and tissues, which can also be significantly altered or deranged over time. After years of the body, cells, and mitochondria coping, they may eventually fail, leading to the development of cancer and or other disease processes.

You can see more clearly now that it is never just 1 thing causing the increase in cancer rates, but the myriad of environmental stimuli coming into the body that then causes downstream negative effects.

I also wanted to reintroduce the concept of epigenetics (you can refer to my last blog on my website for a deeper dive). In essence, there is a layer above our genome known as the epigenome, which can alter the expression of our genes. Think of it as a light switch, we can turn on a good gene or help it express, and conversely, we can turn off a bad gene or reduce its expression.

Various factors, including chronic light exposure, chemicals, toxins, poor diet choices, lack of sleep, and stress, can negatively impact our gene expression. This increases the likelihood of ‘bad genes’ expressing and decreases the likelihood of ‘good genes’ expressing.

This applies to oncogenes (tumour promoting genes) and tumour suppressor genes, which work to turn oncogenes off. Our goal is to promote the function of tumour suppressor genes by taking proactive steps.

By reducing stress, limiting chronic light exposure (especially blue light), minimising toxins and chemicals in our environment, choosing whole foods, engaging in daily movement, and prioritising sleep, we can positively influence our gene expression and work towards reducing the risk of disease and cancer.

In summary, when we recognise that the issues often stem from our mitochondria, it becomes clear that we should focus on sending healthier messages and inputs to them. This way, the translation of these signals is more accurate, enabling the mitochondria to communicate more effectively with our body and organs. As a result, we can strengthen our overall health, improve resilience, and promote a healthier life.

Tamara