Ultra-processed foods such as ready meals, cookies, soft drinks, and chips often contain additives, preservatives, flavorings, and other substances. These foods are typically high in calories, unhealthy fats, added sugars, and sodium, while lacking in essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals.
Study Links Ultra-Processed Foods to Higher Risk of Upper Aerodigestive Tract Cancers
UPFs have long been linked with obesity but scientists have now also identified a link between processed food products and cancers of the mouth and throat.
In a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Bristol and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), findings suggest that the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is associated with an increased risk of developing cancers in the upper aerodigestive tract. This includes cancers affecting the mouth, throat, and esophageal adenocarcinoma, a cancer that starts in the mucus-secreting glands of the esophagus.
Nominal 10% Rise in Ultra-Processed Foods Tied to Higher Cancer Risks
Researchers examined the diets and lifestyles of 450,111 adults from 10 European countries over a span of 14 years, most were 35 to 69 years old at recruitment, and 70.8% were female.
The analysis revealed that an increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) by 10% was linked to a 23% higher risk of head and neck cancer and a 24% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
