Hello everyone, and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster, your unassuming observer

of the human condition. Some say I'm like a microscope, quiet, focused, and scarily precise.

And I'm a Lara Sky, the self-appointed comedic voice in this conversation. My wit might cut like a

scalpel, but I promise to clean up after myself. Ethan, I see you're ready to tackle yet another fascinating topic that's deep in our guts?

Absolutely.

Today we're diving into our own internal jungles, otherwise known as the gut microbiome.

Specifically, we'll talk about how bacteria in our digestive tracks might be staging a hostile takeover if we're not careful.

And apparently, they're especially interested in the colon.

Yes, the colon. The VIP lounge no one wants to talk about. But everyone needs to keep in good standing. You know, the older I get, the more I realize that colon health is basically adulting at its finest.

There's no escaping it. What's happening with colon cancer these days that has experts sounding the alarm?

Early onset colorectal cancer is on the rise.

It used to be something mostly associated with older adults, but now folks under 45 are starting

to see a spike.

Some data suggest a nearly 50% increase in early onset cases over a few decades.

That's unsettling, to say the least.

I always hoped we'd see a spike in something more cheerful, like random acts of kindness

or comedic poetry slams.

But instead, we get colon cancer creeping in on younger folks.

Do we have a culprit?

Part of the blame goes to changes in our gut microbiome.

Certain bacterial strains, like specific types of E. coli and fusobacterium, seem determined

to misbehave.

...