Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods may be linked to increased risk of developing and dying from cancer, suggests an observational study led by the imperial college london (United Kingdom), published in the journal ‘EClinicalMedicine’.
Pre-cooked meals, soft drinks, cereals…
Researchers at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health have conducted the most comprehensive assessment to date of the relationship between ultra-processed foods and the risk of developing cancer. Ultra-processed foods are those that have been highly processed during their production, such as soft drinks, packaged breads in series, many pre-cooked dishes and most breakfast cereals.
Cheap and comfortable, but more risk of disease
Ultra-processed foods are often relatively cheap, convenient, and heavily marketed, often as healthy options, but they’re also often higher in salt, fat, and sugar, and contain artificial additives. It is well documented that they are related to a number of health problems, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The first British study of its kind used UK Biobank records to collect information on the diets of 200,000 middle-aged adult participants. The researchers followed the health of the participants over a 10-year period, looking at the risk of developing any type of cancer in general, as well as the specific risk of developing 34 types of cancer. They also looked at the risk of death from cancer.
The study found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with an increased risk of developing cancer in general, and specifically ovarian and brain cancers. It was also associated with an increased risk of dying from cancer, especially ovarian and breast.
Ovarian cancer
For every 10% more ultra-processed foods in a person’s diet, the incidence of cancer increased by 2% overall and by 19% in the specific case of ovarian cancer.
Each 10% increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods was also associated with a 6% increase in overall cancer mortality, along with a 16% increase for breast cancer and a 30% increase for breast cancer. ovary. These links held after adjusting for a number of socioeconomic, behavioral, and dietary factors, including smoking habit, physical activity and body mass index (BMI).
The Imperial team carried out the study, in collaboration with researchers from the International Center for Research on Cancer (CIIC), the University of São Paulo and the NOVA University of Lisbon.
obesity and diabetes
Previous research by the team reported levels of consumption of ultra-processed foods in the UK to be the highest in Europe for both adults and children. The team also found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a higher risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes in UK adults, and higher weight gain in British children from infancy to early adulthood. .
La doctora Eszter Vamos, Lead author of the study, from the Imperial College London School of Public Health, stresses that “this study adds to mounting evidence that ultra-processed foods can negatively affect our health, including the risk of cancer. Given the high levels consumption in adults and children in the UK, this has important implications for future health,” he adds.
More information to confirm these findings
“Although our study cannot prove cause-and-effect, other available data indicates that reducing ultra-processed foods in our diets may have significant health benefits,” he continued. “More research is needed to confirm these findings and understand the best health strategies to reduce the pervasive presence and harm of ultra-processed foods in our diets.
For his part, Kiara Chang, Ph.D. First author of the study, from Imperial College London School of Public Health, explains that “the average person in the UK consumes more than half of their daily energy intake from ultra-processed foods. This figure is exceptionally high and worrisome,” he warns, “since ultra-processed foods are produced with industrially sourced ingredients and often use food additives to adjust color, flavor, consistency, texture, or extend shelf life.”
fresh food
“Our bodies may not react in the same way to these ultra-processed ingredients and additives as it does to fresh, nutritious, minimally processed foods,” he continues. attractive packaging to encourage their consumption. This shows that our food environment needs urgent reform to protect the population from ultra-processed foods.”
The World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have previously recommended restricting ultra-processed foods as part of a healthy and sustainable diet.
Efforts in Brazil, France, Canada…
Efforts to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods are underway around the world, and countries like Brazil, France, and Canada have updated their national dietary guidelines with recommendations to limit these types of foods. Brazil has also banned the sale of ultra-processed foods in schools. There are currently no similar measures in the UK to deal with ultra-processed foods.
“We need clear warning labels on the front of ultra-processed food packages to help consumers make choices, and our sugar tax should be expanded to include ultra-processed soft drinks, fruit and milk drinks, as well as like other ultra-processed products,” suggests Dr. Chang.
Higher incidence in low-income households
“Lower-income households are especially vulnerable to these cheap and unhealthy ultra-processed foods,” he recalls. “Freshly prepared and minimally processed meals should be subsidized to ensure everyone has access to healthy, nutritious and affordable options.”
The researchers point out that their study is observational, so it does not show a causal relationship between ultra-processed foods and cancer, and they add that more studies are needed in this field to establish a causal relationship.