Recent research suggests that consuming ultra-processed foods may be linked to an increased risk of cancer. Ultra-processed foods are defined as food products that are made with industrial ingredients and undergo multiple processing steps, often including additives and preservatives.
An observational study led by Imperial College London suggests that eating more ultra-processed foods may increase the risk of developing and dying from cancer. Researchers from Imperial’s School of Public Health have produced the most comprehensive assessment of the link between ultra-processed foods and cancer risk to date. Foods that have been heavily processed during production, such as fizzy drinks, mass-produced packaged breads, many ready meals, and most breakfast cereals, are examples of ultra-processed foods.
Ultra-processed foods are frequently inexpensive, convenient, and heavily marketed, often as healthy alternatives. However, these foods are generally higher in salt, fat, sugar, and artificial additives. It is now well documented that they are linked with a range of poor health outcomes including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Our bodies may not react the same way to these ultra-processed ingredients and additives as they do to fresh and nutritious minimally processed foods. However, ultra-processed foods are everywhere and highly marketed with cheap price and attractive packaging to promote consumption.
Dr. Eszter Vamos
The first study of its kind in the UK used UK Biobank records to collect diet information from 200,000 middle-aged adult participants. Researchers followed the health of participants for ten years, looking at the overall risk of developing cancer as well as the specific risk of developing 34 types of cancer. They also looked at the likelihood of cancer deaths.
The study discovered that consuming more ultra-processed foods was linked to an increased risk of developing cancer in general, and specifically ovarian and brain cancers. It was also linked to an increased risk of dying from cancer, particularly ovarian and breast cancer.
For every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food in a person’s diet, there was an increased incidence of 2 percent for cancer overall, and a 19 percent increase for ovarian cancer specifically. Each 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food consumption was also associated with increased mortality for cancer overall by 6 percent, alongside a 16 percent increase for breast cancer and a 30 percent increase for ovarian cancer.
These associations remained after controlling for a variety of socioeconomic, behavioral, and dietary factors such as smoking status, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI). The Imperial team conducted the study, which was published in eClinicalMedicine, in collaboration with researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the University of So Paulo, and NOVA University Lisbon.
Previous research from the team found that adults and children in the UK consume the most ultra-processed foods in Europe. The researchers also discovered that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with an increased risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes in UK adults, as well as a greater weight gain in UK children from childhood to young adulthood.
Dr. Eszter Vamos, lead senior author for the study, from Imperial College London’s School of Public Health, said: “This study adds to the growing evidence that ultra-processed foods are likely to negatively impact our health including our risk for cancer. Given the high levels of consumption in UK adults and children, this has important implications for future health outcomes.
“Although our study cannot prove causation, other available evidence shows that reducing ultra-processed foods in our diet could provide important health benefits. More research is needed to confirm these findings and better understand the best public health strategies for reducing the prevalence and harms of ultra-processed foods in our diet.”
“The average person in the UK consumes more than half of their daily energy intake from ultra-processed foods,” said Dr Kiara Chang of Imperial College London’s School of Public Health. This is especially concerning because ultra-processed foods are made with industrially derived ingredients and frequently use food additives to change the color, flavor, consistency, texture, or extend shelf life.
“Our bodies may not react the same way to these ultra-processed ingredients and additives as they do to fresh and nutritious minimally processed foods. However, ultra-processed foods are everywhere and highly marketed with cheap prices and attractive packaging to promote consumption. This shows our food environment needs urgent reform to protect the population from ultra-processed foods.”
The World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have previously recommended limiting ultra-processed foods as part of a healthy, sustainable diet. Around the world, efforts are underway to reduce ultra-processed food consumption, with countries such as Brazil, France, and Canada updating their national dietary guidelines to include recommendations to limit such foods. Brazil has also prohibited the sale of ultra-processed foods in schools. There are currently no similar measures in place in the UK to combat ultra-processed foods.
“We need clear front-of-pack warning labels for ultra-processed foods to help consumers choose, and our sugar tax should be extended to cover ultra-processed fizzy drinks, fruit-based and milk-based drinks, as well as other ultra-processed products,” Dr. Chang added. Lower-income households are especially vulnerable to these low-cost, high-fat ultra-processed foods. To ensure that everyone has access to healthy, nutritious, and affordable options, minimally processed and freshly prepared meals should be subsidized.”
The researchers emphasize that their study is observational, and thus does not demonstrate a causal link between ultra-processed foods and cancer. More research is needed in this area to establish a causal relationship.
