Consuming ultra-processed foods increases the risk of cancer

A study conducted in England offers new evidence of the relationship between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the development of some forms of cancer. From the analysis of the data, conducted on over 200,000 middle-aged adults, it emerges that a 10% increase in ultra-processed food in a person’s diet leads to a 2% increase in the incidence of cancer.

06 FEB – A high consumption of ultra-processed foods could be linked to an increased risk of cancer and death from oncological pathology. This is what emerges from the study conducted by a team from Imperial College London, the results of which were published by eClinicalMedicine.

Relatively inexpensive, ultra-processed foods are generally high in salt, fat, sugar, and contain artificial additives. The team gathered data from the UK Biobank to learn about the diets of 200,000 middle-aged adults. The researchers monitored the health of these people over a period of more than ten years.

The analysis showed that a high consumption of ultra-processed food is associated with a greater risk of developing cancer, especially ovarian and brain cancer. Furthermore, the consumption of these dishes is associated with a higher risk of dying from cancer, mainly of the breast and ovary.

For every 10% increase of ultra-processed food in a person’s diet, there is a 2% increase in the incidence of cancer and, specifically, a 19% increase in ovarian cancer.

Finally, every 10% increase in the consumption of ultra-processed food is associated with a 6% increase in cancer mortality, together with a 16% increase in the risk of death from breast cancer and a 30% increase in the risk of death. for ovarian cancer.

Source: eClinicalMedicine 2023

06 February 2023
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