Processed, ultra-processed foods and cancer

The largest and most comprehensive study on the question of whether eating processed or ultra-processed foods increases the risk of cancer has been completed.

The study has been carried out on more than 450,000 people from 9 European countries and in it the relationship of diet with 25 different types of cancer has been analyzed.

The study, published in the academic journal The Lancet Planet Health, involved the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO). The work has been led by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The conclusions reached by Dr. Antonio Agudo, from IDIBELL and ICO, and the other authors of the study, include that the consumption of processed or ultra-processed foods increases the risk of suffering from cancer.

The data used for the study were obtained from the European Prospective Study in Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.

The results of the study confirm an association between the consumption of processed or ultra-processed foods and the risk of cancer.

Dr. Antonio Agudo. (Photo: IDIBELL)

In addition, the new study provides strong evidence that replacing 10% of the processed or ultra-processed foods we eat with the same amount of minimally processed foods reduces the risk of cancer by between 4% and 5%.

Dr. Antonio Agudo, head of IDIBELL’s Nutrition and Cancer research group, states: “With the current incidence data in Spain, this would mean avoiding between 11,000 and 14,000 cases of cancer annually. The tumors that would benefit the most from this protective effect would be those of the digestive tract and breast cancer”.

The researchers of the study suggest that the consumption of ultra-processed foods could increase the risk of cancer due to its strong association with obesity, a known cancer risk factor. In addition, these products may also increase the risk of cancer through exposure to pollutants, additives, and other substances. However, it is not yet possible to identify the specific causes responsible for the observed effect.

What is considered a processed or ultra-processed food

On average, processed and ultra-processed foods accounted for 27% of the study participants’ daily intake, but provided more than 50% of calories. All of them provided detailed information on their daily consumption of food and drink, which was evaluated and classified according to an international standard scale.

This scale considers relatively simple products made with the addition of culinary ingredients as processed foods. Typical examples of processed foods are canned vegetables, fruits and legumes; salted or sugared nuts and seeds; canned fish, and alcoholic beverages produced by fermentation.

Ultra-processed foods are made from formulations of industrial ingredients that are not used in domestic culinary preparations. Examples are processed meats such as sausages, carbonated soft drinks and energy drinks, packaged breads and pasta, or prepared dishes. (Source: IDIBELL)