Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses

This umbrella review of epidemiological studies examines the health effects of ultra-processed foods, which are a significant source of human microplastic exposure due to plastic packaging. Ultra-processed foods have been linked to a wide range of adverse health outcomes in population studies. The connection between processed food packaging and microplastic contamination adds another dimension to why reducing ultra-processed food consumption may benefit health.

2024 BMJ 596 citations
Article Tier 2

The Impact of Ultra-Processed Foods on Nutritional Quality, Food Safety and Human Health

This review examines how ultra-processed foods affect nutritional quality and food safety, including the leaching of chemical additives and microplastics from food packaging into highly processed food products, and discusses implications for human health from combined dietary exposures.

2025 Theoretical and Natural Science
Systematic Review Tier 1

The clinical relevance of microplastic exposure on colorectal cancer: A systematic review

This systematic review of four studies found that microplastic accumulation in colorectal cancer tissue (25.9-32.2 particles/g) was significantly higher than in healthy controls, with polyamide, polycarbonate, and polypropylene as the most common polymers detected. While a causal relationship has not been established, the evidence points to microplastics as a potential environmental factor in colorectal cancer development.

2025 Cancer Epidemiology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Ultra-processed foods and cardiometabolic health: public health policies to reduce consumption cannot wait

Researchers argue that the strong and growing evidence linking ultra-processed foods to heart disease, diabetes, and other metabolic conditions justifies immediate public health action. Ultra-processed foods may cause harm through multiple pathways, including their plastic packaging, chemical additives, and poor nutritional quality. The authors stress that waiting for complete scientific understanding of every mechanism should not delay policies to reduce consumption of these foods.

2023 BMJ 126 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of dietary nutrients and metabolism in colorectal cancer.

This review examines how dietary nutrients including glucose, amino acids, lipids, vitamins, and prebiotics may influence colorectal cancer risk and progression. The study discusses metabolic interactions between tumor cells, the tumor microenvironment, and gut microbiota, suggesting that nutritional factors play a meaningful role in shaping these complex biological processes.

2024 PubMed 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Why Is Colorectal Cancer Occurring Earlier? Metabolic Dysfunction, Underrecognized Carcinogens, and Emerging Controversies

Researchers reviewed the rising incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer in people under 50, synthesizing epidemiological, molecular, and multi-omics evidence that implicates metabolic dysfunction, accelerated epigenetic aging, gut microbiome dysbiosis, and modern environmental exposures including micro- and nanoplastics as converging contributors to this trend.

2026 Current Obesity Reports
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics and Colorectal Cancer: Presence in Human Colorectal Tissues and Associations with Tumor Biology- A Systematic Review

This review of 13 studies found that tiny plastic particles called microplastics are present in human colon tissues, with higher amounts found in cancerous tumors compared to healthy tissue. The research suggests these plastic particles may contribute to colon cancer development by causing inflammation and creating conditions that help tumors grow. While more research is needed to prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship, this highlights growing concerns about how plastic pollution in our environment and food supply might affect human health.

2026
Systematic Review Tier 1

Invisible invaders: unveiling the carcinogenic threat of microplastics and nanoplastics in colorectal cancer-a systematic review

This systematic review examines the potential link between microplastics and nanoplastics and colorectal cancer. The research highlights how these tiny particles may contribute to cancer development through mechanisms like chronic inflammation and cellular damage in the gut. While more studies are needed, the findings raise important questions about the long-term consequences of ingesting plastic particles.

2025 Frontiers in Public Health 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The Impact of the Gut Microbiome, Environment, and Diet in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Development

This review explores why colorectal cancer is increasing among younger people, pointing to changes in gut bacteria, diet, and environmental exposures as likely contributors. Microplastics are discussed as one of several environmental factors that may be disrupting the gut microbiome and promoting inflammation linked to cancer development. The findings suggest that the rising tide of environmental contaminants, including microplastics, could be playing a role in this troubling health trend.

2024 Cancers 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Could Microplastics Be a Driver for Early Onset Colorectal Cancer?

This paper explores whether microplastics could be contributing to the rising rates of colorectal cancer in people under 50. The timing of this increase lines up with the mass production of plastics starting in the 1950s, and microplastics are known to disrupt the gut lining and interact with gut bacteria in ways that could promote cancer. While not proven, the authors argue this connection deserves urgent research given how much plastic humans now ingest.

2023 Cancers 77 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic Exposure and Its Dual Impact on Metabolic Syndrome and Pathways of Colorectal Carcinogenesis: A Systematic Review of Epidemiological, Experimental, and Mechanistic Evidence

This systematic review examines evidence linking microplastic exposure to both metabolic syndrome and colorectal cancer pathways. It found a biologically plausible connection between microplastic exposure and these conditions, though a direct clinical link to cancer has not yet been established.

2025 Journal of Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and the Rising Tide of Early‐Onset Colorectal Cancer: Exploring the Environmental Gut Connection

This paper explores the potential connection between microplastic exposure and the rising rates of early-onset colorectal cancer. The study discusses how microplastics may interact with the gut environment, suggesting that further research is needed to understand whether environmental microplastic contamination could be contributing to this emerging health trend.

2025 ANZ Journal of Surgery 1 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Image 3_Invisible invaders: unveiling the carcinogenic threat of microplastics and nanoplastics in colorectal cancer-a systematic review.png

This systematic review examines the potential link between microplastics and colorectal cancer. It found that humans ingest over 70,000 microplastic particles annually, and that higher concentrations of micro- and nanoplastics have been observed in colorectal tumor tissues compared to healthy tissue, suggesting a possible connection worth further investigation.

2025 Figshare
Systematic Review Tier 1

Image 2_Invisible invaders: unveiling the carcinogenic threat of microplastics and nanoplastics in colorectal cancer-a systematic review.png

This systematic review examines the potential link between microplastics and colorectal cancer. It found that humans ingest over 70,000 microplastic particles annually, and that higher concentrations of micro- and nanoplastics have been observed in colorectal tumor tissues compared to healthy tissue, suggesting a possible connection worth further investigation.

2025 Figshare
Systematic Review Tier 1

Image 1_Invisible invaders: unveiling the carcinogenic threat of microplastics and nanoplastics in colorectal cancer-a systematic review.png

This systematic review examines the potential link between microplastics and colorectal cancer. It found that humans ingest over 70,000 microplastic particles annually, and that higher concentrations of micro- and nanoplastics have been observed in colorectal tumor tissues compared to healthy tissue, suggesting a possible connection worth further investigation.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Orally Ingested Micro- and Nano-Plastics: A Hidden Driver of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer.

This review synthesizes evidence linking ingested micro- and nano-plastics to inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer risk, proposing that microplastics act as a hidden driver of gut inflammation in vulnerable populations. The authors argue that intestinal accumulation of microplastics triggers immune and oxidative stress pathways that contribute to disease progression.

2024 Cancers
Article Tier 2

Don't take this lying down: an urgent wakeup call: the weight of diet and lifestyle in the young‐onset colorectal cancer surge

This editorial discusses the rise of young-onset colorectal cancer (YO-CRC) in developed nations, noting that CRC is projected to become the leading cause of cancer mortality in those aged 20–49 by 2030, and examines the role of diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors including potential contributions from microplastics. It calls for urgent research and preventive action targeting modifiable risk factors in young adults.

2025 ANZ Journal of Surgery
Article Tier 2

The colorectal cancer conundrum: the rising burden in younger adults

Researchers analyzing 2025 U.S. cancer statistics found that colorectal cancer incidence is rising, with a notable shift toward younger adults and women — a trend that has accelerated in recent decades and is not fully explained by known risk factors. This changing demographic pattern raises questions about emerging environmental or lifestyle exposures, including potential roles for microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

2025 EBioMedicine
Article Tier 2

Cancer and Food-Related Risks: A Review

This review examines the relationship between diet, food-related environmental exposures, and cancer risk, covering evidence for carcinogenic dietary patterns, contaminants in food including persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals, and the emerging concern of microplastics as potential carcinogens. The authors emphasize that dietary risk is multi-factorial and that improving food safety standards remains a key prevention lever.

2024 International Journal of Trends in OncoScience
Article Tier 2

Associations between microplastics in human feces and colorectal cancer risk

In a study of 258 colorectal cancer patients and 493 healthy controls, researchers found significantly higher levels of microplastics in the stool of cancer patients, with those in the highest exposure group having 11 times the odds of colorectal cancer. This is one of the first studies in humans to provide epidemiological evidence of a potential link between microplastic exposure and cancer risk, though more research is needed to determine if the relationship is causal.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Chemoprophylaxis of precancerous lesions in patients who are at a high risk of developing colorectal cancer (Review)

This review covers chemoprevention strategies for precancerous lesions in patients at elevated cancer risk, evaluating evidence for pharmacological and dietary interventions including natural compounds that modulate carcinogenic pathways. The authors assess clinical trial evidence and identify specific compounds with strong evidence for reducing progression from precancerous to malignant lesions.

2024 Medicine International
Article Tier 2

The incidence of early onset colorectal cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand: 2000–2020

Researchers analyzed colorectal cancer trends in New Zealand from 2000 to 2020, finding that while overall rates declined slightly, early-onset cases (in younger adults) are rising — and rising faster among Maori — suggesting environmental or lifestyle factors, including dietary contaminants, may be contributing to this shift.

2024 BMC Cancer 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Associations between ultra-processed foods intake and preserved ratio impaired spirometry in U.S. adults

Researchers analyzed data from U.S. adults and found that higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with an increased risk of impaired lung function. The association was particularly notable in individuals with occupational exposure to respiratory hazards. While the study focused on diet and lung health rather than microplastics directly, ultra-processed foods are a known source of microplastic exposure, adding another dimension to concerns about highly processed food consumption.

2025 Frontiers in Nutrition 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Microplastics in Patients with Colorectal Adenocarcinoma using Various Techniques

Researchers detected microplastics in tumoral and non-tumoral colon tissues of colorectal adenocarcinoma patients and healthy controls using ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopies, finding that tumoral tissues contained significantly higher microplastic counts than non-tumoral or healthy tissues. The identified polymers included polyethylene, poly(methyl methacrylate), and nylon, suggesting a potential link between microplastic exposure and colorectal cancer.

2022 Research Square (Research Square) 3 citations