Florida: American researchers have warned that caffeinated energy drinks may cause colon cancer. Experts believe that ingredients in energy drinks may be linked to bacteria that can promote the growth of stomach cancer tumors.
Cancer cells use an amino acid called taurine as their main source of energy, according to a study conducted at the University of Florida.
At the world’s largest cancer conference this week, a team of researchers announced a human trial that had previously only been done in animals.
In the study, scientists will try to find out whether drinking an energy drink every day increases the number of cancer-causing bacteria.
Researchers are recruiting about 60 people between the ages of 18 and 40 for the four-week study.
Half of the study participants will be given at least one original sugar-free energy drink per day and their gut bacteria will be compared to a control group who will not be given the energy drinks.
Diagnosing cancer at a young age is not yet common. About 90 percent of all cancers affect people over the age of 50, but in the 1990s in the United States, the number of younger patients has increased to about 70 percent.
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