According to the results of a new observational study, higher consumption of ultra-processed foods may be linked to an increased risk for developing and dying from cancer.1 Ultra-processed foods, which include soft drinks, factory-made bread, ready-to eat meals, and most breakfast cereals, are typically inexpensive, convenient, and heavily marketed, but also contain artificial additives, as well as high levels of salt, sugar, and fat.
In the study, researchers from Imperial College London, England, used UK Biobank records to collect information on the diets of 200,000 people aged 40 to 69 years. They monitored these individuals’ health over a 10-year period, examining the risk for developing cancer overall as well as the risk for developing 34 specific types of cancer. All participants completed a 24-hour diet recall assessment between 2009 and 2012 and were followed through January 2021. Foods consumed were grouped according to the extent of processing. The amount of ultra-processed foods consumed by participants in the study ranged from a low of 9.1% to a high of 41.4% of their diet.
The researchers found that with every 10% increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods, the overall risk for cancer increased by 2%, whereas the risk for ovarian cancer rose by 19%. In addition, with every 10% increase, mortality from cancer overall, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer increased by 6%, 16%, and 30%, respectively.
These associations remained even after adjusting for a range of socioeconomic, behavioral, and dietary factors, such as smoking status, physical activity, and body mass index.
“Our bodies may not react the same way to these ultra-processed ingredients and additives as they do to fresh and nutritious minimally processed foods. However, ultra-processed foods are everywhere and highly marketed with cheap prices and attractive packaging to promote consumption. This shows our food environment needs urgent reform to protect the population from ultra-processed foods,” said Kiara Chang, MSc, the first investigator of the study, and Research Fellow, Imperial College London School of Public Health, in a press release.
“This study adds to the growing evidence that ultra-processed foods are likely to negatively impact our health, including our risk for cancer. Given the high levels of consumption in UK adults and children, this has important implications for future health outcomes,” said Eszter P. Vamos, PhD, the lead investigator of the study, and Senior Clinical Lecturer, Imperial College London School of Public Health, in the press release.
“Although our study cannot prove causation, other available evidence shows that reducing ultra-processed foods in our diet could provide important health benefits. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and understand the best public health strategies to reduce the widespread presence and harms of ultra-processed foods in our diet,” Dr Vamos added.
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