Beneath the Surface: Gut Truths, Food Myths & the Gift of Wandering Minds

We tend to think of illness and aging as predictable—things that follow a straight line, affecting mostly the old, the genetically predisposed, or the overtly unhealthy. But what happens when the trends start shifting in unexpected ways? When young people begin to face diseases once thought distant? When diets touted as healthy don’t work for everyone? When wandering minds may actually be doing critical work?

Let’s take a closer look at what’s rising beneath the surface.

Young Bodies, Old Battles: The Rise of GI Cancers

Colorectal and other gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are increasing at alarming rates in people under 50. These cancers were once mostly seen in older adults—but now, early-onset colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in young men and the second in young women in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society (2024).

A recent review published in the British Journal of Surgery found a 14.8% increase in early-onset colorectal cancer between 2010 and 2019. The causes remain unclear, but obesity, processed foods, environmental toxins, and stress are all under the microscope.

“While the increase in obesity is associated with a major increase in early-onset colorectal cancer, the majority of patients are not obese, do not have a family history or any other obvious risk factors.”
— Dr. Anton Bilchik, Chief of Medicine, Providence Saint John’s Cancer Institute

This suggests a more complex web of causes—many rooted in the gut. The trillions of bacteria in our bodies, known as the microbiome, may be impacted by poor diet, chronic stress, and pollutants, contributing to a pro-inflammatory state linked to cancer risk.

Meanwhile, a 2024 study in Nature Medicine projects 15.6 million new cases of gastric cancer in the coming decades—largely attributed to Helicobacter pylori, a common but often undetected bacterial infection.

“These increases may reflect shifts in early life exposures and the gut microbiome, which could differ significantly from those of older generations.”
— M.N. Huda, 2025

Not One Size Fits All: Rethinking “Healthy” Diets

The Mediterranean diet is often called the gold standard for health—linked to reduced heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even Alzheimer’s. But new research suggests its effects may not be universal.

A 2025 study published in Preventive Medicine Reports found that a long-term Mediterranean diet intervention did not improve cognitive function in African American participants, despite improved adherence and weight loss outcomes.

“The results highlight the need to recognize racial and cultural diversity when studying diet-related health outcomes.”
— Lead researcher, Preventive Medicine Reports, 2025

What works for one group may not automatically benefit another. Cultural context, food accessibility, stress, and social determinants of health all shape how diet impacts our bodies. The takeaway? Nutrition science must evolve beyond a “one-size-fits-all” model—and center equity.

Wandering Minds & Hidden Strengths

Ever been told to stop daydreaming? Turns out, letting your mind drift might be good for you.

A 2025 study published in The Journal of Neuroscience found that mind wandering during simple tasks actually enhanced learning—and participants performed just as well as those who stayed hyper-focused.

“Mind wandering poses an unresolved puzzle for cognitive neuroscience: It is associated with poor performance in various cognitive domains, yet humans spend 30–50% of their waking time mind wandering.”
— Simor et al., The Journal of Neuroscience, 2025

The implication? Our brains may use daydreaming as a tool to integrate ideas, solve problems, and imagine new futures. In a world driven by nonstop productivity, giving our minds room to roam might just be a radical form of wellness.

So, What Now?

Whether it’s the rise of hidden cancers, the reality of diet inequity, or the underestimated power of daydreaming, one truth echoes loud and clear:

What’s happening beneath the surface matters.

It matters in our bodies. In our health systems. In our food. In our minds. And in the assumptions, we make about what’s good, safe, or “normal.”

At The WellGrown Collective, we’re cultivating a community where curiosity meets care, where new science becomes shared knowledge, and where wellness isn’t something prescribed from the outside—but grown together, from within.

Let’s keep this conversation growing.
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Sources:

• Sara K Char, Catherine A O’Connor, Kimmie Ng, Early-onset gastrointestinal cancers: comprehensive review and future directions, BJS, Volume 112, Issue 7, July 2025, znaf102, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjs/znaf102

• American Cancer Society. (2023, January 13). Colorectal Cancer Statistics | How Common Is Colorectal Cancer? Www.cancer.org; American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/colon-rectal-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
  

• Park, J.Y., Georges, D., Alberts, C.J. et al. Global lifetime estimates of expected and preventable gastric cancers across 185 countries. Nat Med (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03793-6

• Cohut, M. (2025, July 6). Letting your mind wander could help you learn. Medicalnewstoday.com; Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/letting-your-mind-wander-could-help-you-learn

• Mind Wandering during Implicit Learning Is Associated with Increased Periodic EEG Activity and Improved Extraction of Hidden Probabilistic Patterns
  Péter Simor, Teodóra Vékony, Bence C. Farkas, Orsolya Szalárdy, Tamás Bogdány, Bianka Brezóczki, Gábor Csifcsák, Dezső Németh
  Journal of Neuroscience 7 May 2025, 45 (19) e1421242025; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1421-24.2025

• Johnson, J. (2022, January 3). Mediterranean diet: A guide and 7-day meal plan. Www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324221

• Pelc, C. (2025, July 10). Mediterranean diet may not improve brain health in all aging populations. Medicalnewstoday.com; Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/mediterranean-diet-may-not-improve-brain-health-aging-populations-weight-loss

• McLeod, A., Lamar, M., Schiffer, L., Blumstein, L., Siegel, L., Berbaum, M., Tussing-Humphreys, L., & Fitzgibbon, M. (2025). Long-term outcomes of a Mediterranean diet with or without calorie restriction on cognition and cardiometabolic health: The building research in diet and cognition trial. Preventive Medicine Reports, 55(55), 103099. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103099

• Colorectal Cancer Alliance. (2025, February 26). Colorectal Cancer Alliance. https://colorectalcancer.org/?form=donate&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=2025ED_REV&msclkid=1982b28416601b8c9e22daf413bf3177

• Huda, M.N., Kelly, E., Barron, K. et al. The impact of early-life exposures on growth and adult gut microbiome composition is dependent on genetic strain and parent- of- origin. Microbiome 13, 143 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-025-02130-w

• Mayo Clinic. (2022). Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection - Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/h-pylori/symptoms-causes/syc-20356171