Conducted on nearly 200,000 Britons, the study shows that for every 10% additional processed food in a person’s diet, the risk of cancer increases by 2%.
It is a massive research work, which confirms the dangerousness of ultra-processed food. Published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, the study entitled “Consumption of ultra-processed food, risk of cancer and mortality” shows that the regular presence in a person’s diet of cereals, industrial bread, prepared meals or even ice cream significantly increases the risk of developing cancer.
“Every 10% increase in ultra-processed food consumption is associated with a 2% increased incidence of any cancer, including ovarian cancer, of +19%,” the study states.
Nearly 200,000 people followed over 10 years
This is the “most comprehensive” study on the subject, says Imperial College London, to which is attached the team of researchers behind the results unveiled on Tuesday. In total, the diets of 197,426 Britons aged 40 to 69 were followed over 10 years.
“This study adds to the growing evidence that ultra-processed foods are likely to have a negative impact on our health, including the risk of developing cancer,” says the Imperial College website. Eszter Vamos.
Among the cohort of British citizens studied, the average consumption of ultra-processed foods was 22.9% in the total diet. In almost a decade, 15,921 of them developed cancer, and 4,009 died from it.
Ultra-processed foods, such as frozen meals or industrial pizzas, contain additives that are not found in homemade preparations.
Request for specific packaging
The very high consumption of processed food in the United Kingdom is prompting researchers to demand that manufacturers be required to mention the risks to consumers on packaging.
Quoted by The IndependentDr Kiara Chang says: “For the average person in the UK, ultra-processed foods make up more than half of their daily food intake.”
Then to continue: “Ultra-processed foods are everywhere and marketed with cheap prices and attractive packaging to promote their consumption”.
In France, in July 2022, the National Food Safety Agency confirmed the increased risk between consumption of nitrates and nitrites, present in processed meat such as ham, and the appearance of colorectal cancer.