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Western Diet Fuels Colon Cancer via Bacterial DCA, Study Shows

8/6/2026

Summary

Story summary

Researchers published a Gut study linking Western diets to colorectal cancer via gut bacterial deoxycholic acid (DCA).
Genetically modified pigs on a Western diet developed more colon tumors, fecal DCA and increased epithelial proliferation.
DCA-producing bacteria (Clostridium scindens, Extibacter muris) introduced to germ-free mice raised DCA levels and tumor counts.
Stool DNA from 1,034 colorectal-cancer patients and 1,108 controls showed DCA-production genes from C. scindens were more common in cases.

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Story summary

Researchers published a Gut study linking Western diets to colorectal cancer via gut bacterial deoxycholic acid (DCA).
Genetically modified pigs on a Western diet developed more colon tumors, fecal DCA and increased epithelial proliferation.
DCA-producing bacteria (Clostridium scindens, Extibacter muris) introduced to germ-free mice raised DCA levels and tumor counts.
Stool DNA from 1,034 colorectal-cancer patients and 1,108 controls showed DCA-production genes from C. scindens were more common in cases.