He consumption of ultra-processed products It has become an everyday thing for a large part of the population. these foods They tend to be relatively cheap and 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 low in healthy nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, antioxidants or proteins, which means they have a double negative impact on your diet.
It is amply demonstrated that ultra-processed foods are related to a number of health problems, such as obesity, O Type 2 diabetes and the cardiovascular diseases. Now, researchers at Imperial College London's School of Public Health have carried out 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 greater consumption of ultra-processed foods is linked to a greater risk of developing and dying from cancer. In the case of ovarian cancer, which affects 3,300 women a 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 monitored 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 – i.e. cookies, sweets, chips, cereals or sausages – was associated with an increased risk of developing cancer in general and ovarian and brain cancer specifically. Also has been linked to 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% overall and 19% in the specific case of ovarian cancer. In turn, each 10% increase in ultraprocessed food intake was associated with a 6% increase in overall cancer mortality, along with with an increase of 16% for breast cancer and an increase of 30% for ovarian cancer. This risk occurred regardless of other conditions, such as physical activity level or body mass index (BMI).
The doctor kiara changThe study's first author, 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, an exceptionally high and worrying figure. ” “It is possible that our body does not react to these ultra-processed ingredients and additives in the same way that it reacts to fresh, nutritious, minimally processed foods. -continues-. However, ultra-processed products are everywhere and are sold at cheap prices and attractive packaging to encourage consumption.”
the researcher calls for urgent reform to protect the population from these foods“We need clear warning labels on the front of ultra-processed packaging to help consumers make choices, and our sugar tax should be expanded to include ultra-processed soft drinks, fruit and dairy drinks, as well as other ultra-processed products,” suggests Chang.
In turn, Dr. Eszter Vamos, also the 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", To add. However, the researchers highlight that their study is observational, so it does not show a causal relationship between ultra-processed foods and cancer, and add that more studies in this area are needed to establish a causal relationship.
