Ultra-processed foods increase the risk of cancer, according to a study published in March 2023 in the journal Lancet Planetary Health.
The study, coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of Lyon, also shows that reducing the consumption of these foods by only 10% reduces the risk.
In recent decades, eating habits have shifted from a diet consisting mainly of fresh and minimally processed foods to a diet consisting largely of industrially ultra-processed foods that contain a lot of calories, additives and contaminants of processing (e.g. trans fats) and have lower nutritional quality (e.g. lack of protein and fiber). These foods make up 25-60% of daily caloric intake in high- and middle-income countries.
Ultra-processed foods are not just chips, candies, cakes, hot dogs, meatballs and soft drinks. They are also, for example, fruit yoghurts (which contain too much sugar and additives), white bread (which contains very little fiber and too much salt), frozen prepared meals (which contain little fiber and protein and lots of salt, fats and additives), concentrated juices (which contain as much fructose as several fruits in a single serving)… (What are ultra-processed foods? The NOVA classification of foods into 4 groups)
Nathalie Kliemann and her colleagues from IARC and other institutions analyzed data from a European cohort of 450,000 people.
By replacing only 10% of ultra-processed foods with an equal amount of minimally processed foods, the risk of cancers in general was reduced as well as the risk of liver, colon, esophagus and breast cancers following menopause.
« These findings support the idea that eating processed and ultra-processed foods may be associated with a higher cancer risk, as shown in previous studies.
concludes the researcher. (Ultra-processed foods linked to an increased risk of cancer – large French study)
For more information, see the links below.
Psychomedia avec sources : CIRC, The Lancet Planetary Health.
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