A study that looked at the health records of nearly 200,000 people in the UK found a link between cancer and consumption of ultra-processed foods. Researchers have called for health warnings to be added to these foods, but other experts suggest factors unrelated to food may increase cancer risk.
“The average British person consumes more than half of their daily energy intake from ultra-processed foods,” explained Kiara Chan, lead author of the new study from Imperial College London. . Manufactured with industrially sourced ingredients, food additives are often used to adjust color, flavor, consistency and texture, as well as to extend shelf life.
Ultra-processed foods are industrially produced foods that are high in salt, sugar and fat. They contain little or no natural food and are full of food additives, colorings and preservatives. We classified a variety of foods under the ultra-processed food umbrella, including industrially processed breads, sweet or savory packaged snacks, breakfast “cereals,” and reconstituted meat products. Ready-to-eat/heated food. ”
Looking at data from the ongoing UK Health Study, researchers tracked cancer incidence over a decade. Each participant also completed his 24-hour food record at several time points during the study as a way of assessing overall food intake.
The findings revealed a clear correlation between consumption of ultra-processed foods and increased cancer risk. Researchers found that for every 10% increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods, the risk of cancer increased by 2% overall, with the risk of ovarian cancer peaking at 19%. Cancer-related deaths also increased for every 10% increase in ultra-processed food intake.
While the researchers clearly point out that their findings cannot attribute causation to this association, they do point out the many ways ultra-processed foods may increase a person’s cancer risk. In addition to being high in fat, sugar and salt, these types of foods contain various chemical additives and contaminants that may contribute to cancer risk, including microplastics from packaging materials. They often contain substances.
“Recent evidence from the NutriNet-Santé cohort shows that higher intake of artificial sweeteners is associated with higher overall cancer, breast and obesity-related cancer risks, and nitrates and nitrites from food additives. Higher intakes of nitrates were shown to increase the risk of breast and prostate cancer, respectively,” the researchers wrote in the study. “We found that high dietary exposure to acrylamide, an industrial chemical that forms during high-temperature cooking processes, increases the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer.”
Simon Steenson of the British Nutrition Foundation says more research is needed to better understand the link between ultra-processed food consumption and poor health. It suggests that people who eat a lot of foods may simply be eating poorly in general.
“A high percentage of UPF in a diet may be a marker of an overall poor diet, high in energy, saturated fat, salt and free sugars and low in fruits, vegetables, fiber and essential nutrients. It’s a factor that is known to have adverse health effects,” Steenson said.
Aston University nutritionist Duane Mellor also questions the direct link between ultra-processed foods and cancer. He said the adverse health effects detected here were likely due to eating unhealthy whole foods rather than ultra-processed foods that somehow cause cancer directly through chemical additives. Stated.
“Looking at the food intakes of people who reportedly consumed more ultra-processed foods, they tended to drink more carbonated drinks and less tea and coffee, and more vegetables and other foods. Foods associated with healthy eating patterns (e.g. legumes, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruit, etc.),” Mellor said.
Chan agrees that fresh, minimally processed foods need to be cheaper and more readily available to keep people away from ultra-processed foods. It argues that warning labels should be placed on the packaging of ultra-processed foods to make consumers more aware of their unhealthy properties.
“Clear warning labels are required on the front of packs of ultra-processed foods to aid consumer choice, and the sugar tax will limit ultra-processed carbonated beverages, fruit- and milk-based beverages, and other ultra- It should be expanded to cover processed foods: “Low-income households are particularly vulnerable to these cheap, unhealthy, ultra-processed foods. We need to subsidize freshly prepared, minimally processed meals so that we have access to choice.”
Steenson, on the other hand, opposes simple solutions like labeling processed foods badly. He said that while current food labels warn consumers that they are already high in sugar, salt and fat, some ultra-processed foods can actually be considered relatively healthy. He argues that people who can afford only these products should not be blamed.
“…the problem with the UPF concept is that this category could also include commonly consumed foods that provide important nutrients. essential vitamins and minerals), or high-fiber, low-sugar breakfast cereals, which are typically fortified with key nutrients,” Steenson explains. “These and other healthier foods classified as UPF, such as reduced-sugar, reduced-salt baked beans and vegetable-based pasta sauces, form an important part of a healthy, balanced diet and are affordable. It provides widely available options at affordable prices and is the foundation of a nutritious diet.”
A new study was published in electronic clinical medicine.
Source: Imperial College London
