Cancer disaster in younger folks could also be fueled by drinks adored by teenagers

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. 

DailyMail.com revealed earlier this week how diets high in sugar and low in fiber may also be contributing to the epidemic of colon cancers in under-50s. 

The University of Florida researchers are recruiting around 60 people aged 18 to 40 to be studied for four weeks.

Half of the group will consume at least one original Red Bull or Celsius, a sugar-free energy drink, per day and their guts will be compared to a control group who don’t.

The upcoming trial is ‘one of the earliest’ studies to evaluate potential factors contributing to the meteoric in colorectal cancer, the researchers say.

Early onset cancers are still uncommon. About 90 per cent of all cancers affect people over the age of 50.

But rates in younger age groups have soared around 70 percent since the 1990s, with around 17,000 new cases diagnosed in the US each year.

Energy drinks first appeared in the US in the 1940s with brands such as Dr. Enuf, but they became popular after the introduction of Red Bull in 1997.

Red Bull’s aggressive marketing, which promoted the drinks as a way to increase attention, stamina, and athletic performance, helped it gain popularity among young adults and college students.

Now, around one in three Americans reports consuming energy drinks on a regular basis.

The new research, dubbed the ROSANNA Trial, will recruit adults with no history of colon cancer.

All of the participants should report consuming energy drinks less than twice a week and have no other gastrointestinal conditions. 

The volunteers will be split into two equal-sized groups. The first group will consume at least one Celsius (Sparkling Peach Vibes flavor) or Red Bull energy drink per day for four weeks, while the other group will stick to their regular diet. 

Each participant will be required to complete dietary and fitness logs and weekly wellness diaries. 

At baseline, two weeks, and four weeks, they will have blood, stool, urine, saliva, and skin samples taken.

The goal of the research is to see if the drinks’ taurine, of which young people consume six to 16 times the recommended limit, fuels bacteria that is ‘overrepresented in CRC cases.’

These are called Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) metabolizing bacteria, which are ‘linked to inflammation, and may promote a pro-carcinogenic environment,’ according to the team.

Plans for the study were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) an international annual meeting in Chicago.

‘These bacteria preferentially use taurine, an essential amino acid, as a primary energy source,’ the team wrote. 

The researchers anticipate a 20 to 30 percent rise in HS2 metabolizing bacteria levels, based on previous studies involving mice.

‘This study represents one of the earliest prospective evaluations potentially clarifying the reasons behind the increase of [early-onset colorectal cancer] and informing the creation of future prevention strategies,’ the team wrote. 

Enrollment will continue through Fall 2024. 

A 2024 survey found that 32 percent of adults ages 18 to 29 report consuming energy drinks on a regular basis, and 90 percent of Americans drink some form of caffeinated beverage every day.

Currently, the US energy drink market is valued at about $23billion, fueled largely by sales of Red Bull, Monster, and Celsius. 

In addition to caffeine, which can total twice that of a cup of coffee, drinks like Red Bull and Celsius contain large amounts of taurine. 

This amino acid is naturally found in proteins like meat and fish. 

While taurine is not actually used to build proteins in the body, like other amino acids are, it has a range of roles, including regulating the amount of calcium in nerve cells and controlling inflammation, among other things. 

Taurine has been deemed safe in small amounts, though high levels have been shown to cause vomiting, upset stomach, dizziness, tiredness, diarrhea, and constipation.

Lab studies of taurine and cancer have produced contractor results.

In some cases, the amino acid has been shown to halt tumors from growing and spreading by as much as 44 percent.

In others, it has been shown to prevent protective T cells from fighting cancers, allowing the disease to become more aggressive.

There are no federal age limits on energy drinks in the US, but some areas have local restrictions for under 18s.

The drinks, especially sugary ones, have been linked to insomnia, mood problems, dental issues and obesity.