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Saturday, October 25, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

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https://nordictimes.com/health/colorectal-cancer-affects-more-young-swedes/

Health

Colorectal cancer affects more young Swedes

Published August 23, 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The study also shows that mortality has increased among both younger and older patients for up to ten years after cancer diagnosis.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Colorectal cancer is increasing among young people in Sweden, according to research from the Karolinska Institute. Researchers suggest that lifestyle factors, such as sedentary behavior and obesity, may be the cause.

In the study, which was published in Annals of Oncology, researchers examined over 135,000 Swedish patients who had colorectal cancer between 1993 and 2019.

The results show that the number of younger people under 50 who develop this form of cancer has increased over the past three decades. For rectal cancer, the number of new cases among younger people has increased by 2.04 percent per year, and for left-sided and right-sided colon cancer, the increase is 2.41 and 2.64 percent per year respectively. Overall, the disease has become two to three times more common among younger people.

Detected later in younger patients

Younger patients also more often had metastatic cancer compared to older patients, suggesting they had lived with symptoms longer before the cancer was discovered. Researchers emphasize that it's important for both the public and healthcare professionals to know that this type of cancer can also affect younger people. This is particularly important since the chance of curing cancer increases with early detection.

The study also shows that mortality has increased among both younger and older patients up to ten years after cancer diagnosis.

— This is remarkable, since patients are often considered cured after such a long time. Our results challenge that view and underscore the need for more research into why this is happening, as well as long-term follow-up and support for both young and older patients, says Cecilia Radkiewicz, researcher at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

Lifestyle may be the cause

It's unclear what actually lies behind the increase in colorectal cancer among young people, but researchers believe it doesn't appear to be driven by traditional risk factors such as inflammatory bowel disease or heredity. Instead, the results suggest that lifestyle factors may be decisive.

— Childhood obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and antibiotic use have been highlighted as contributing factors, although the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear, says Radkiewicz.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/health/pfas-during-pregnancy-alters-childs-brain/

Health

PFAS during pregnancy alters child’s brain

Published October 16, 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Research shows for the first time how PFAS in pregnant women can alter children's brain structure several years later.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

For the first time, researchers can demonstrate how PFAS in pregnant women affects their children's brains long-term. The Finnish-Swedish study shows that structural changes can be observed in children when they are five years old.

The study, which has been published in Lancet Planetary Health, is a collaboration between Örebro University (Sweden), Åbo University (Finland), and Turku University Hospital (Finland), and is part of the EU project INITIALISE (Inflammation in human early life: targeting impacts on life-course health).

PFAS consists of a range of chemicals that are difficult to break down and have been found not only in nature, but also in humans and animals. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to health. Research has shown that PFAS can affect the immune system and is also suspected to have effects on metabolism, hormonal balance, and brain development.

Because PFAS remains in the body, it can also pass from a pregnant woman to the placenta, which means the child can be exposed. Previous studies have, for example, indicated that if pregnant women have PFAS in their blood, there is a greater risk that the child will become overweight later in life.

Affected brain structure

This study is the first of its kind to examine the entire brain simultaneously in a brain scanner in children in relation to PFAS exposure during pregnancy – several years after birth.

The study was conducted using the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, which was established at Åbo University (Finland) in 2011. It is a long-term study that follows thousands of children and mothers from pregnancy onward. Some of the children underwent brain scans, and these results have been compared with the levels of PFAS measured in the mothers during pregnancy.

The results show that there is a connection between higher levels of PFAS in pregnant women and changes in both the brain's structure and in the connections between different brain regions in their children. These changes were observed five years later.

This is the first time researchers have been able to describe how PFAS in pregnant women can be linked to changes in their children's brains several years later.

— This is an important piece of the puzzle in understanding how chemicals can affect children's development. Step by step, we are gaining more knowledge about how different environmental factors interact and can contribute to health problems, says Tuulia Hyötyläinen, professor at Örebro University, in a press release.

Exposure to PFAS during pregnancy and also during early development in the child is considered particularly sensitive, the researchers say, because the brain and other organs grow rapidly and are formed during that time. More research is now needed on how PFAS affects brain function.

— Overall, the research shows that PFAS can affect brain development even at low levels. More research is needed on how chemicals affect cognition and brain function in children, what the causes are, and what it leads to, says Hyötyläinen.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Researchers' tips to avoid PFAS while awaiting stronger legislation:

  1. Eat fish, but avoid fish from lakes contaminated with PFAS. For more information about contamination levels, contact your local municipality. Also reduce consumption of takeaway food and microwaveable meals in grease- and water-repellent paper packaging.
  2. Avoid cooking with non-stick products.
    Avoid makeup, soap and beauty products containing PFAS. In ingredient lists, look out for: PTFE, polytetrafluoroethylene, "...perfluoro..." or "...polyfluoro...".
  3. PFAS is often found in water-repellent functional clothing. Since most PFAS is released during production, buying second-hand clothes can help reduce these chemicals in nature.

https://nordictimes.com/health/study-diet-crucial-against-obesity-not-activity-level/

Health

Study: Diet crucial against obesity – not activity level

Published October 6, 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The problem is not a sedentary lifestyle – but too much and the wrong kind of food, according to the researchers.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Sedentary and physically active people can burn almost the same amount of energy per day, shows a new American study. The researchers therefore argue that the fight against obesity must focus more on diet – and less on exercise.

In the study, published in the scientific journal PNAS, researchers compared data from 4,200 people from different continents with different lifestyles - including herding cultures in Siberia, hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, as well as people from both low-income and high-income countries. In total, they compared 34 different population groups.

The results show that total daily energy expenditure did not differ significantly between the different population groups. This means that, for example, a hunter-gatherer used the same amount of energy as an office worker in Sweden during a day.

— Even when people live different lifestyles, once we account for the effects of body size, we do not see meaningful differences in the total number of calories people burn, says Amanda McGrosky at Elon University in the US, who is the lead author of the study, in a press release.

McGrosky points out that obesity is therefore primarily about increased calorie consumption, not decreased activity expenditure.

— If you are worried about excess body fat, focus on calories in, not calories out, the researcher suggests.

Westerners eat too much

Obesity and overweight are growing health problems in the Western world, something often linked to the increasingly sedentary culture. However, this study suggests that sedentary behavior is not the biggest problem causing obesity, and McGrosky believes the study offers hope in the fight against obesity. Instead, one should look at diet and especially reduce the intake of ultra-processed foods and increase the proportion of healthy ones.

The researchers therefore suggest that it is not sedentary behavior that is the culprit in Western countries' obesity epidemic, but rather that people simply eat too much and too unhealthily.

Exercise is still important

However, the researchers point out that this does not mean one should exclude exercise and movement, as it has a range of health-promoting benefits such as reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, premature death, and also improves mental health.

— A key takeaway from the study is that increases in body fat that accompany changes in lifestyle are primarily linked to changes in energy intake, or diet. Physical activity is still very important for all-around health and should be considered complementary to diet, says McGrosky.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/health/fifteen-minutes-in-the-park-can-reduce-anxiety/

Health

Fifteen minutes in the park can reduce anxiety

Published September 26, 2025
– By Editorial Staff
All types of green spaces in cities improve residents' mental health, but urban forests stand out – particularly when it comes to reducing depression and anxiety.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Just fifteen minutes in urban green spaces is enough to improve mental health, a study shows. The best approach is to sit or rest in the park for a while.

Today, approximately 55 percent of the world's population lives in cities, according to the UN. This figure is expected to increase to nearly 70 percent by 2050. This means a greater absence of nature and also more health problems linked to city life, such as anxiety, which is more common among urban dwellers.

In a study by researchers at Stanford University in the US and Leiden University in the Netherlands, results from 449 published studies were compiled and 78 field experiments analyzed to examine how different types of urban green spaces affect 12 different aspects of mental health. Nearly 5,900 participants were included in total.

The results, published in Nature, show that all types of urban green spaces improved mental health, but urban forests stood out – particularly when it came to reducing depression and anxiety. And you didn't need to spend particularly long to get a positive effect; less than fifteen minutes was enough. However, spending more than 45 minutes in nature provided greater benefits.

— Our results show that even brief contact with nature can provide significant mental benefits, says Roy Remme from Leiden University, according to Medical Xpress. What's more, longer nature exposure is linked to even greater reductions in stress and boosts in vitality.

Rest or sit

Young adults see even greater benefits, which is remarkable considering that most mental health problems begin before age 25. However, there was also a significant benefit for other age groups. Primarily, it was beneficial for mental health to sit or rest in the park or natural area, while moving around in nature increased energy and positivity.

Based on the results, the researchers emphasize the importance of protecting forests and parks in cities, but also promoting smaller parks and more street trees to improve residents' access to nature. Furthermore, they point out that simpler changes, such as placing more windows facing greenery or organizing community programs with guided meditation, for example, can be cost-effective ways to promote public health.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/health/researchers-more-people-affected-by-meat-allergy-as-ticks-spread/

Health

Researchers: More people affected by meat allergy as ticks spread

Published September 25, 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Meat allergy can be triggered by tick bites – the immune reaction against alpha-gal in mammalian meat causes the symptoms.
2 minute read
Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Meat allergy is becoming increasingly common in Sweden following tick bites, researchers confirm. For those affected, it means a complete lifestyle change since there is no treatment – only complete abstinence from meat helps.

Karin Ottosson was struck by severe stomach problems after a tick bite. It took time to figure out what problem Karin had been affected by, she felt very ill and nothing seemed to help.

— I was bedridden and tried to eat, but it just continued and continued, she tells Swedish media outlet TV4.

After several hospital visits and numerous investigations, the answer came: Karin had been affected by meat allergy. It is caused by an immune reaction to the substance alpha-gal, which is found in tick saliva and in meat from mammals. The symptoms can include, in addition to various stomach problems such as vomiting and diarrhea, rashes and even asthma reactions.

Researchers have seen a marked increase in meat allergy in connection with ticks spreading to new areas, and also becoming more active for larger parts of the year.

No treatment

Karin had to completely change her diet, but it is not entirely simple to avoid meat – even small amounts or hidden additives can trigger the allergy.

— It can be anything from starting to itch, getting a rash, to becoming as ill as I was from the beginning. It's impossible to predict, says Karin.

There is no treatment for meat allergy, and the only thing that works is to completely avoid meat.

— Unfortunately, there is no treatment other than having to avoid mammalian meat and making sure not to get bitten by ticks, says Marianne van Hage, professor of clinical immunology.

Editorial Staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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