Processed foods aren’t just bad for your waistline, they can be bad for your overall health.
A new study from the Imperial College School of Public Health shows that “ultra-processed foods” are associated with an increased risk of developing cancer.
Researchers in London classified ultra-processed foods as products such as carbonated drinks, cereals, mass-produced and packaged breads, and prepackaged foods. The study’s authors noted that such foods typically consisted of “derivative ingredients” such as high-fructose corn syrup and modified starches, rather than ingredients used in home cooking.
After studying 200,000 middle-aged participants over a 10-year period, they found that those who ate convenience foods may have an increased risk of developing life-threatening cancers.
A UK study published in eClinicalMedicine concluded that people who ate the food were more likely to get ovarian and brain cancer, and more likely to die from ovarian and breast cancer.
They found that when participants increased their junk food diet by 10%, their risk of developing cancer increased by 2%. Lifestyle behaviors such as smoking, diet and exercise, socioeconomic class, and body mass index should also be taken into account.
“While our study cannot prove causation, other available evidence suggests that reducing ultra-processed foods in our diets may provide important health benefits. “It shows,” study author Dr. Eszter Vamous said in a statement, adding that the study “adds growing evidence that processed foods can harm people’s health.
“Further research is needed to confirm these findings and to understand the widespread presence and harm of ultra-processed foods in our diets and the best public health strategies to reduce them,” she added. .
The study came when data from the University of Michigan emerged suggesting Americans are addicted to processed junk food. Data show that 44% of adults aged 50 to 80 who participated in the study had at least one symptom of processed food addiction.
The most common symptoms they reported were cravings, inability to limit processed food consumption despite wanting to, and “withdrawal symptoms.” One person also mentioned that they “felt a lot of pain” two to three times a week.
Previous research has shown links between processed foods and adverse health effects. Junk food and cheat meals make you gain weight, but they also affect consumers’ mental health and can even contribute to autoimmune diseases.
In fact, there may be scientific reasons why it’s impossible to roll down the sleeves of Oreos or large fry.
Experts have long argued that such processed foods should have strict warning labels on the front of packages, and the authors of the Imperial study agree.
“There should be clear warning labels on the front of packages of ultra-processed foods to help consumers make choices. “We need to extend it to cover ultra-processed foods,” said study author Kiara Chan, Ph.D.
“Low-income households are particularly vulnerable to these cheap, unhealthy, ultra-processed foods,” she continued. To do so, we need to subsidize freshly prepared meals with minimal processing.”
