Ultra-processed foods may up risk of developing cancers

London: Eating more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) may be associated with a higher risk of developing cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract (including the mouth, throat and oesophagus), according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Bristol and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) analysed diet and lifestyle data on 450,111 adults who were followed for approximately 14 years.

Their findings, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, showed that obesity associated with the consumption of UPFs may not be the only factor to blame for developing cancers.

It showed that eating 10 per cent more UPFs is associated with a 23 per cent higher risk of head and neck cancer and a 24 per cent higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma in EPIC.

Increased body fat only explained a small proportion of the statistical association between UPF consumption and the risk of these upper-aerodigestive tract cancers.

"UPFs have been associated with excess weight and increased body fat in several observational studies. This makes sense, as they are generally tasty, convenient and cheap, favouring the consumption of large portions and an excessive number of calories. However, it was interesting that in our study the link between eating UPFs and upper-aerodigestive tract cancer didn't seem to be greatly explained by body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio," said lead author Fernanda Morales-Berstein, a Wellcome Trust student at the University of Bristol.