New Study Links Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods to Increased Risk of Cancer: Factors Other Than Obesity Implicated
A recent study has found that consuming a higher proportion of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) may be associated with an increased risk of developing cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract, including the mouth, throat, and esophagus. The extensive study was led by researchers from the University of Bristol and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and involved the analysis of diet and lifestyle data from a cohort of 450,111 adults over the course of around 14 years.
Contrary to prior beliefs linking obesity to the consumption of UPFs as the sole contributing factor to cancer risk, the study suggests that there may be additional factors at play.
Prior research has already established a link between UPF consumption and cancer, including evidence from the largest cohort study in Europe, the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.
The recent research aimed to explore the connection between eating UPFs and the risk of upper aerodigestive tract cancers. The results of the analysis indicated that a 10% increase in UPF consumption was associated with a 23% higher risk of head and neck cancer and a 24% higher risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma in the EPIC cohort.
Lead author Fernanda Morales-Berstein, a Wellcome Trust PhD student at the University of Bristol, stressed the findings demonstrate other mechanisms may be involved in the observed association. She highlighted that while UPFs have been associated with excess weight and increased body fat, the link between eating UPFs and upper-aerodigestive tract cancer didn’t seem to be explained by body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio.
Additionally, the study suggests that additives like emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners, as well as contaminants from food packaging and manufacturing processes, may be contributing to the observed association.
The researchers express caution about potential bias in the findings, yet stress the need for further research to explore the connections between UPF consumption and upper-aerodigestive tract cancers.
Dr. Helen Croker, Assistant Director of Research and Policy at the World Cancer Research Fund, highlighted the importance of eating a healthy diet, rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and beans, as a means of reducing cancer risk based on the study’s findings.
The study’s findings were published in the European Journal of Nutrition and add to growing evidence suggesting a link between UPFs and cancer risk.
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