He consumption of ultra-processed products It has become an everyday thing for a large part of the population. These foods They are usually relatively cheap and are often marketed as healthy options, but in reality they contain an excess of salt, fat, sugar and artificial additives, as well as a high caloric intake. Furthermore, they are very poor in healthy nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, antioxidants or proteins, which is why they have a double negative impact on the diet.
It is widely demonstrated that ultra-processed foods are related to a series of health problems, such as obesity, the type 2 diabetes and the cardiovascular diseases. Now, researchers at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health have conducted the most comprehensive assessment to date of the relationship between ultra-processed foods and the risk of developing cancer. The study, published in the journal ‘EClinicalMedicine’ suggests that a higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is related to a higher risk of developing and dying from cancer. In the case of ovarian cancer, which affects 3,300 women each year in Spain, the risk skyrockets.
The study, funded by Cancer Researchused UK Biobank records to collect information about the diets of 200,000 participants middle-aged adults. The researchers tracked the health of the volunteers. for 10 yearsanalyzing the risk of developing 34 types of cancer and also the risk of death from the disease. They found that consuming a large amount of ultra-processed foods – that is, cookies, candy, chips, cereals or sausages – was associated with an increased risk of developing cancer in general, and specifically with ovarian and brain cancers. Also was associated with an increased risk of dying from cancer, especially ovarian and breast cancer.
Specifically, for every 10% more ultra-processed foods in the diet, the incidence of cancer increased by 2% in general and by 19% in the specific case of ovarian cancer. For its part, each 10% increase in the intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with a 6% increase in overall cancer mortality, along with with a 16% increase for breast cancer and a 30% increase for ovarian cancer. This risk occurred regardless of other conditions such as physical activity level or body mass index (BMI).
The doctor Kiara Changfirst author of the study, from Imperial College London School of Public Health, explains that “the average person in the UK consumes more than half of their daily energy intake from ultra-processed foods, a figure that is exceptionally high. and worrisome.” “It is possible that our body does not react in the same way to these ultra-processed ingredients and additives as it does to fresh and nutritious minimally processed foods. -keep going-. However, ultra-processed products are everywhere and are marketed at cheap prices and attractive packaging to encourage their consumption.”
the researcher calls for an urgent reform to protect the population from these foods.“We need clear warning labels on the front of ultra-processed packages to help consumers make choices, and our sugar tax should be expanded to include ultra-processed soft drinks, fruit and milk drinks, as well as like other ultra-processed products”, suggests Chang.
For her part, Dr. Eszter Vamos, also an author of the research, highlights that “this study adds to the growing evidence that ultra-processed foods can negatively affect our health, including the risk of cancer. Given the high levels of use by adults and children in the UK, this has important implications for future health“, Add. However, the researchers point out that their study is observational, so it does not show a causal relationship between ultra-processed foods and cancer, and they add that more studies are needed in this field to establish a causal relationship.
