CNN
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A new study has found that eating more ultra-processed foods increases the risk of developing upper gastrointestinal cancers, including mouth, throat and esophageal cancers. In the United States, a 2019 study found that 71% of food supply It may be super processed.
The study found that people who ate 10% more ultra-processed foods than other people had a 23% higher risk of head and neck cancer and esophageal gland cancer, a type of cancer that grows in the glands lining organs. 24% higher risk of discovered by researchers.
“This study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting a link between UPF (ultra-processed foods) and cancer risk,” said Dr. Helen Croker, Assistant Director of Research and Policy. International Cancer Research Fundfunded the research, it said in a statement.
More research and data collection is needed to understand the associations found in the new report, said study co-author and International Agency for Research on Cancer Division of Nutrition and Metabolism, which sponsored the study. said Dr. Ingle Huybrecht, a nutritional epidemiologist.
Hybrecht said this dietary data was collected “in the 1990s, when UPF intake was still relatively low.” “As such, the association may be stronger in cohorts that include more recent dietary tracking assessments.”
According to the law, ultra-processed foods such as soda, potato chips, nuggets, packaged soups, and ice cream must contain “ingredients that are never or rarely used in the kitchen or features that make the final product tastier or more appealing.” Contains different types of additives. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The list of additives includes preservatives that prevent mold and bacteria. Emulsifier to prevent separation of immiscible components. Artificial colors and dyes. Antifoaming agents, fillers, bleaching agents, gelling agents and polishing agents. Add or change sugar, salt, or fat to make food more appealing.
Body fat as a risk factor
The new study was published on Tuesday. european nutrition journalanalyzed dietary and lifestyle data from 450,111 adults participating in the European Prospective Study on Cancer and Nutrition, including questions about consumption of ultra-processed foods. amazing. His EPIC, one of the largest studies of its kind in Europe, recruited participants from 1992 to 1999 from 23 centers in 10 European countries and the United Kingdom.
According to , being overweight or obese is a well-known risk factor for developing at least 13 types of cancer, including esophageal cancer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ultra-processed foods are high in calories and are thought to contribute to weight gain, experts say.
However, after conducting a statistical analysis of the results, the researchers found that increased body fat was only part of the statistical association between ultra-processed foods and upper gastrointestinal cancer over a 14-year period. did.
Research shows that increased waist-to-hip ratio only explains 5% of the 23% increased risk for head and neck cancer. Of the 24% additional risk of esophageal cancer, 13% was explained by increased body mass index (BMI) and 15% by waist-to-hip ratio.
“In other words, even though UPF does contribute to cancer risk, it contributes to obesity to a much greater extent, and to a much greater extent through other mechanisms,” says the study of preventive and lifestyle medicine. says expert Dr. David Katz. He was not involved in the research.
“What could they be? Diet-induced inflammation. Microbiome disruption. Adverse epigenetic effects. Many other possibilities come to mind,” Katz said in an email.Mr. Katz founded a nonprofit organization. A commitment to true healtha global coalition of experts specializing in evidence-based lifestyle medicine.
Ingredients in food packaging, such as emulsifiers, preservatives, artificial sweeteners and toxins, may also play a role in the link between ultra-processed foods and cancer and other diseases, the study authors said.
Oddly enough, the study also found a link between ultra-processed foods, which were used as controls in the study, and accidental deaths.
“Researchers used accidental death as a ‘negative control,’ something to which UPF should not be associated when only direct effects are aggregated,” Katz said in an email.
“However, UPF is associated with increased accidental mortality, suggesting that UPF is a marker of general disadvantage. Factors that may contribute to this association These include poverty, discrimination, and environmental destruction.
So it’s not clear what’s behind the association, said study co-author Dr. George Davey-Smith, professor of clinical epidemiology at the University of Bristol, UK.
“While it is clear that UPF is associated with a number of adverse health effects, it is unclear whether UPF actually causes these adverse effects or whether there are underlying factors such as general health-related behaviors or socio-economic status,” he said in a statement. It is still unclear whether these factors are involved in the association.”
This is not the first study to find a link between ultra-processed foods and cancer. An August 2022 study found that eating ultra-processed foods not only significantly increases the risk of colorectal cancer in men, but also increases the risk of heart disease and early death in both men and women.
a Research published in January They found that for every 10% increase in ultra-processed food consumption, there was a 2% increase in cancer incidence and a 19% increase in the risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
another Recently published research Using EPIC data, we found that eating more ultra-processed foods increases the risk of being diagnosed with a complex disease that includes multiple chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. In that study, eating more ultra-processed animal products and sweetened beverages explained a significant portion of this association.
Another 2023 study found that eating large amounts of ultra-processed foods and drinks, especially if those items are artificially sweetened, may be associated with the development of depression in women. found. Eating 400 calories a day of ultra-processed foods as part of a 2,000-calorie diet increases your risk of dementia, according to a 2022 study.
