{"id":1507,"date":"2023-03-03T17:08:11","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T17:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/?p=1507"},"modified":"2023-03-03T17:08:11","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T17:08:11","slug":"ultra-processed-foods-and-drinks-linked-to-colorectal-cancer-and-early-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/?p=1507","title":{"rendered":"Ultra-Processed Foods and Drinks Linked to Colorectal Cancer and Early Death"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Two large studies that followed participants for decades have provided further evidence that the foods we eat \u2014 and don\u2019t eat \u2014 can have significant health consequences. The research, published August 31 in the BMJ<\/em>, found that people who consumed higher amounts of \u201cultra-processed\u201d foods were at greater risk of cardiovascular disease, bowel (colorectal) cancer, and early death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are ultra-processed foods<\/a>? They include items like hot dogs, lunch meat, baked goods, salty snacks like chips, and sugary drinks, along with prepackaged ready-to-eat or microwave meals, which can contain more unhealthy fats and lots of sodium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to researchers, these findings add further support for policies that limit ultra-processed foods and promote unprocessed or minimally processed foods to improve public health worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers Followed Participants for Over 2 Decades to Assess Cancer Risk<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the first study<\/a>, researchers examined the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the risk of colorectal cancer<\/a> in U.S. adults using data from 46,341 men and 159,907 women who had participated in one of three large studies of U.S. health professionals: the Nurses\u2019 Health Study (1986\u20132014), the Nurses\u2019 Health Study II (1991\u20132015), and the Health Professional Follow-Up Study (1986\u20132014).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe started out thinking that colorectal cancer could be the cancer most impacted by diet compared to other cancer types<\/a>,\u201d said the lead author, Lu Wang, PhD<\/a>, a postdoctoral fellow at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston, in a press release<\/a>. \u201cProcessed meats, most of which fall into the category of ultra-processed foods, are a strong risk factor for colorectal cancer. Ultra-processed foods are also high in added sugars and low in fiber, which contribute to weight gain and obesity, and obesity is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous studies have linked ultra-processed foods to higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and some cancers, but there is not much research that examines the association between ultra-processed food intake and colorectal cancer risk, according to the authors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This study followed participants for 24 to 28 years and controlled for many medical and lifestyle factors, giving researchers a unique opportunity to see the potential long-term impact of diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCancer takes years or even decades to develop, and from our epidemiological studies, we have shown the potential latency effect \u2014 it takes years to see an effect for certain exposure on cancer risk,\u201d said the co-senior author Mingyang Song, ScD,<\/a>\u00a0an assistant professor of clinical epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in the press release. \u201cBecause of this lengthy process, it\u2019s important to have long-term exposure to data to better evaluate cancer risk,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultra-Processed Foods Are Often High in Sugar and Fat, but Low in Vitamins and Fiber<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Everyone included in the analysis had their dietary intake assessed every four years using detailed food frequency questionnaires. To measure the association of the level of processing with cancer risk, researchers assigned foods to one of four groups: unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods, and ultra-processed foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n