Ultra-processed food and beverages such as sugary cereals, ready meals and fizzy drinks may be associated with higher risks of cancer, according to a new study.
The research, published by the British Medical Journal, revealed that a 10% increase in the proportion of ultra-processed foods in the diet was associated with increases of 12% in the risk of overall cancer and 11% in the risk of breast cancer.
While researchers warned that further exploration is needed, the results suggest that the rapidly increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods “may drive an increasing burden of cancer in the next decades”.
They say that ultra-processed foods often contain high levels of sugar, fat, and salt, but lack in vitamins and fibre. They are thought to account for up to 50% of total daily energy intake in several developed countries.
A few studies have linked ultra-processed foods to higher risks of obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. But firm evidence linking intake to risk of disease is still scarce. So a team of researchers based in France and Brazil set out to evaluate potential associations between ultra-processed food intake and risk of overall cancer, as well as that of breast, prostate, and bowel cancers.
Their findings are based on 104,980 healthy French adults (22% men; 78% women) with an average age of 43 who completed at least two 24-hour online dietary questionnaires, designed to measure usual intake of 3,300 different food items.
Foods were grouped according to degree of processing and cases of cancer were identified from participants’ declarations validated by medical records and national databases over an average of five years.
Several risk factors for cancer, such as age, sex, family history of cancer, smoking status and physical activity levels, were taken into account.
Further testing found no significant association between less processed foods (such as canned vegetables, cheeses and freshly made unpackaged bread) and risk of cancer, while consumption of fresh or minimally processed foods (fruits, vegetables, pulses, rice, pasta, eggs, meat, fish and milk) was associated with lower risks of overall cancer and breast cancer.
In a statement, the authors said: “To our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate and highlight an increase in the risk of overall – and specifically breast – cancer associated with ultra-processed food intake.”
They stress that further work is needed to better understand the effects of the various stages of processing, but suggest policies targeting product reformulation, taxation, and marketing restrictions on ultra-processed products and promotion of fresh or minimally processed foods may contribute to primary cancer prevention.
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