Summary: High consumption of highly processed foods, including soda, chips and some white bread products, increases the risk of developing and dying from certain types of cancer, including brain cancer.
Source: Imperial College London
A study by Imperial College London found that consuming highly processed foods increases the risk of developing and dying from cancer.
Researchers from the Imperial School of Public Health have produced the most comprehensive review to date of the link between highly processed foods and cancer risk.
Highly processed foods are those that have been heavily processed during their production, such as soft drinks, mass-produced packaged breads, many processed foods, and most breakfast cereals.
Highly processed foods are often relatively cheap, convenient, and widely marketed as healthy options. But these foods are generally high in salt, fat, sugar, and artificial additives. It is now well documented that they are associated with a variety of poor health outcomes, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
The first UK study of its kind used UK Biobank records to collect dietary data on 200,000 middle-aged adult participants. Researchers followed the participants’ health over a 10-year period and looked at the risk of developing any cancer overall, as well as the risk of developing 34 types of cancer. They also looked at the risk of people dying from cancer.
Research shows that high consumption of highly processed foods is associated with an increased risk of cancer in general, particularly ovarian and brain cancers. It also increases the risk of dying from cancer, especially ovarian and breast cancer.
For every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food in a person’s diet, there was a 2 percent increase in cancer overall and a 19 percent increase in ovarian cancer in particular.
Every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food consumption is associated with a 6 percent increase in overall cancer mortality, a 16 percent increase in breast cancer and a 30 percent increase in ovarian cancer.
These associations remained after adjustment for socioeconomic, behavioral, and dietary factors such as smoking status, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI).
The Imperial team conducted the study in 2011 Clinical MedicineIn collaboration with researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the University of São Paulo and the Nova University of Lisbon.
Previous research by the team has reported consumption levels of highly processed foods in the UK, which are the highest in Europe for both adults and children. The team also found that high consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes in UK adults, and greater weight gain in UK children from childhood to young adolescence.
Dr Esther Vamos, from Imperial College London’s School of Public Health, who led the study, said: “This study comes in line with growing evidence that highly processed foods can have a negative impact on our health, including our risk of cancer. Given the high rates of consumption in UK adults and children, this has important implications for future health outcomes.
Although our study can’t prove causation, other available evidence suggests that reducing the amount of highly processed foods in our diet offers significant health benefits. More research is needed to confirm these findings and to understand the best public health strategies to reduce the prevalence and harm of highly processed foods in the diet.
Lead author of the study, Dr Kiara Chang, from Imperial College London’s School of Public Health, said: “The average person in the UK consumes more than half of their daily energy intake from highly processed foods.
“This is extremely high and is because highly processed foods are produced with industrially derived ingredients and often use food additives to improve colour, flavour, consistency, texture or extend shelf life.
look up
“Our bodies may not respond to these highly processed ingredients and additives in the same way as they do to fresh, nutritious minimally processed foods. However, highly processed foods are ubiquitous and marketed at high prices with cheap prices and packaging that promotes consumption. This shows that our food environment is in urgent need of reform to protect the public from highly processed foods.
The World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have previously recommended limiting highly processed foods as part of a healthy, sustainable diet.
There are ongoing efforts around the world to reduce consumption of highly processed foods, with countries such as Brazil, France and Canada updating their national dietary guidelines to limit these foods. Brazil has banned the sale of highly processed foods in schools. There are currently no similar measures to tackle ultra-processed foods in the UK.
Dr Chang added: “We need clear front warning labels on ultra-processed foods to help consumers make choices, and our sugar tax should be extended to cover ultra-processed fizzy drinks, fruit-based and milk-based drinks.” Like other highly processed products.
“Low-income households are particularly vulnerable to these cheap and unhealthy ultra-processed foods. Minimally processed and freshly prepared foods should be subsidized so that everyone has access to healthy, nutritious and affordable options.
The researchers noted that their study was observational, so due to the observational nature of the study, it did not show a causal relationship between ultra-processed foods and cancer. More work is needed in this area to establish causal links.
About diet and brain cancer research news
Author: Press office
Source: Imperial College London
Contact: Press Office – Imperial College London
Image: The image is in the public domain.
Preliminary study: The findings are shown in Clinical Medicine