Researchers from the Imperial College London School of Public Health evaluated the diets of nearly 200,000 middle-aged adults over a 10-year period in the UK and found a “higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with increased risk of cancer in general and specifically ovarian and brain cancer.”
It was also associated with an increased risk of dying from cancer, they found.
Peer review study, Published in the Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine on Tuesday, it was a collaboration with researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the University of Sao Paulo and the NOVA University of Lisbon.
Of the 197,426 people, some 15,921 people developed cancer and 4,009 cancer-related deaths occurred.
“For every 10% increase in ultra-processed foods in a person’s diet, there was a 2% increase in cancer incidence overall and a 19% increase in ovarian cancer specifically,” Imperial said. College London. in a sentence. These links held after adjusting for socioeconomic factors such as smoking, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI).
It is not clear why there was a particularly high increase in the incidence of ovarian cancers; Nevertheless, research has found an association between the disease and acrylamide, an industrial chemical formed during high-temperature cooking procedures.
“Some potentially cancer-causing agents, such as some controversial food additives and chemical agents generated during processing, can interfere with hormonal effects and therefore affect hormone-related cancers such as ovarian cancer,” he told The Washington Eszter Vamos, lead lead author of the study. Post by email on Wednesday.
Further studies are needed to determine the impact on women and childrenhe said, since the latter tend to be the “main consumers of ultra-processed foods.”
According to the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women in the United States, which is more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. The cancer occurs primarily in older women and is more common in white than black women, she said.
almost 60 percent of the calories American adults eat come from ultra-processed foods, which are often low in nutritional value. They also account for 25 to 50 percent of the calories consumed in many other countries, including England, Canada, France, Lebanon Y Japan.
The observational study “cannot prove cause and effect” definitively, Vamos noted, showing only an association between food and increased cancer risk. However, the study argues, the findings highlight the importance of considering food processing in diets.
“Ultra-processed foods are ubiquitous and highly marketed with cheap prices and attractive packaging to promote consumption,” study author Kiara Chang said in a statement. “This shows that our food environment needs urgent reform to protect the population.”
Chang called for better food labeling and packaging to clarify to consumers the risks of their choices, as well as subsidies for freshly prepared foods to ensure they remain accessible, “nutritious and affordable options.”
Other studies have shown a link between ultra-processed foods and higher rates of obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer. A recent study of more than 22,000 people found that people who ate a lot of ultra-processed foods had a 19% higher chance of dying early and a 32% higher risk of dying from heart disease, compared with people who ate little ultra-processed food.
“There has been a global rise in ultra-processed foods, and these products are increasingly replacing traditional foods in our diets,” Vamos said. “In general, high-income countries have the highest levels of consumption, with the US and UK being the top consumers.”
Brazil has forbidden the marketing of ultra-processed foods in schools, while France Y Canada they have lobbied to limit such foods in their national dietary guidelines.
Panagiota Mitrou, director of research and innovation at the World Cancer Research Fund, which helped fund the study, said by email Wednesday that the findings were “significant” and should encourage people to limit their consumption of fast food. and “other high-fat processed foods.” starches or sugars.
“For maximum benefit, we also recommend that you include whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes as a significant part of your regular diet,” he added.
Anahad O’Connor contributed to this report.
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