New Study Reveals the Dark Side of Ultra-Processed Foods

By Webcab Last updated Feb 3, 2023

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Ultra-processed foods, such as mass-produced packaged breads, fizzy drinks, breakfast cereals, and ready meals, are becoming increasingly popular due to their cheap price and convenience. However, they are also known to contain high levels of salt, sugar, fat, and artificial additives, leading to a range of health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

A new study by researchers from Imperial’s School of Public Health has now revealed that there is also a significant link between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the risk of developing and dying from cancer.

The Study:

The first study of its kind in the UK, using UK Biobank records to collect information on the diets of 200,000 middle-aged adults.
Participants were monitored over a 10-year period, with researchers looking at the risk of developing any cancer overall and specifically 34 types of cancer.
Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with an increased risk of developing cancer overall and with specific cancers, such as ovarian and brain cancers.
Increased mortality was also observed for cancers such as ovarian and breast cancers.

Increased Cancer Incidence and Mortality:

For every 10% increase in ultra-processed food consumption, there was a 2% increase in the incidence of cancer overall and a 19% increase for ovarian cancer.
The mortality for cancer overall increased by 6%, with a 16% increase for breast cancer and a 30% increase for ovarian cancer.
The links remained after adjusting for socio-economic, behavioral, and dietary factors.

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High Levels of Ultra-Processed Food Consumption in the UK:

The study was carried out in collaboration with researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), University of São Paulo, and NOVA University Lisbon.
The team found that the UK has the highest levels of ultra-processed food consumption in Europe for both adults and children.
A previous study by the same team found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a greater risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes in UK adults, and with weight gain in UK children from childhood to young adulthood.

Expert Opinion:

Dr. Eszter Vamos, the lead senior author for the study, said that the study adds to the growing evidence that ultra-processed foods negatively impact health, including the risk of cancer.
Dr. Kiara Chang, the first author for the study, added that the average person in the UK consumes more than half of their daily energy intake from ultra-processed foods and that the food environment needs urgent reform to protect the population from these harmful foods.
Both experts emphasized that further research is needed to confirm these findings and understand the best public health strategies to reduce the widespread presence and harms of ultra-processed foods in our diet.

Global Efforts to Reduce Ultra-Processed Food Consumption:

The World Health Organisation and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation have recommended restricting ultra-processed foods as part of a healthy sustainable diet.
Countries such as Brazil, France, and Canada have updated their national dietary guidelines to limit such foods, with Brazil also banning the marketing of ultra-processed foods in schools.
There are currently no similar measures in the UK, but experts have called for clear front-of-pack warning labels for ultra-processed foods and for the sugar tax to be extended to cover ultra-processed fizzy drinks and other products.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the study has provided strong evidence of the link between high consumption of ultra-processed foods and an increased risk of cancer, particularly ovarian and brain cancers, and cancer mortality, particularly ovarian and breast cancers. It has also highlighted the high levels of ultra-processed food consumption in the UK and the need for urgent reforms to the food environment to protect public health.