A recent study from Tufts University and Harvard University, published in The BMJ on August 31, has unveiled a worrying association between high consumption of ultra-processed foods and an increased risk of colorectal cancer, particularly in men.
This connection is particularly alarming considering the prevalence of these convenient food choices in American diets.
The study, led by Lu Wang, a postdoctoral fellow at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts, aimed to investigate the potential impact of diet on colorectal cancer, the third most diagnosed cancer in the United States.
The researchers focused on processed meats, a subset of ultra-processed foods, known to be strong risk factors for this type of cancer.
These foods are typically high in added sugars, low in fiber, and contribute to weight gain and obesity, which are established risk factors for colorectal cancer.
Over 200,000 participants (159,907 women and 46,341 men) from three large prospective studies were analyzed over more than 25 years. Participants regularly updated their dietary intake, including the frequency of roughly 130 food items.
The study found a significant 29% higher risk of colorectal cancer in men with high rates of ultra-processed food consumption compared to those who consumed them less frequently. Interestingly, this increased risk was not observed in women.
The strongest association in men was found with meat, poultry, or fish-based, ready-to-eat products, such as sausages, bacon, ham, and fish cakes. In contrast, an inverse association was observed between ultra-processed dairy foods like yogurt and colorectal cancer risk in women.
The study also noted higher risks associated with the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in men.
However, the research team, including co-senior author Fang Fang Zhang, a cancer epidemiologist at the Friedman School, suggests that the composition of ultra-processed foods consumed by women may differ from those consumed by men.
Mingyang Song, assistant professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-senior author on the study, acknowledged the need for further research to clarify whether the observed sex differences are genuine or due to other factors.
The study also considered the potential role of food additives, changes in gut microbiota, inflammation, and contaminants from food processing or packaging as contributing factors to cancer development.
With a follow-up rate exceeding 90% across the three studies, the researchers had ample data to support their findings. Adjustments were made for various factors like race, family history of cancer, lifestyle habits, and total caloric intake.
This research is particularly significant in light of Wang and Zhang’s previous work, which identified a trend of increasing ultra-processed food consumption among U.S. children and adolescents.
It underscores the need for increased awareness of the health risks associated with such diets and the importance of promoting healthier food choices for overall health improvement and cancer risk reduction.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that artificial sweeteners are linked to higher cancer risk, and how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease and cancer.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease, and results showing vitamin D supplements strongly reduces cancer death.
The research findings can be found in BMJ.
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