Doctors are increasingly sounding the alarm over a potential link between ultra-processed foods and a rise in colon cancer cases among young people.

Traditionally, items like candy, chips, and processed meats have been flagged as culprits, but now there’s growing concern that even individuals who follow “clean eating” habits may be at risk.

A gastroenterologist at the University of Miami, Maria Abreu, has received a grant to investigate the worrying trend, the Daily Mail reports. She says the issue may lie in the emulsifiers found in modern foods, including those marketed as “healthy” options, such as low-fat yogurts, light salad dressings, and peanut butter.

“These ultra-processed foods create a lot of noise in the microbial system,” Dr. Abreu told WSVN-7 News. “Things like emulsifiers that are added in, things that are creamy, you know, the nonfat yogurts and all these things, really can change the gut microbiome very profoundly.”

Common emulsifiers like soy lecithin, sucralose, xanthan gum, carrageenan, maltodextrin, and polysorbate are often used to give dairy-free, low-fat, and non-fat foods their combined and creamy textures. Products like “light” yogurts, zero-sugar Greek yogurts, “complete” protein yogurts, vegan and “light” mayonnaises, and salad dressings often contain these emulsifiers.

Research has linked the additives to gut inflammation and disruption of the gut microbiome — a crucial collection of healthy bacteria in the body’s digestive tract.

Under normal conditions, the gut microbiome protects the digestive tract from pathogens and infections and helps reduce gut inflammation. When the microbiome is thrown off balance by medications or certain foods with additives, though, it could increase the risk of cancer.

“Something in the microbiome has changed, and it’s setting in motion this chronic inflammation” in the gastrointestinal tract, Dr. Abreu said.