BMJ: Ultra-processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages increase colorectal cancer risk in men, while yogurt reduces colorectal cancer risk in women

For many people, the convenience of prepared and instant meals can make it easy to overlook their less-than-ideal nutritional properties, when in fact, in addition to poor nutrition, a growing body of research shows that these Processed foods also pose a range of health risks

A study by Tufts University and Harvard University has shown a strong correlation between ultra-processed foods and an increased risk of colorectal cancer

Ultra-Processed Foods mainly refers to industrial ingredients other than salt, sugar, oil and fat contained in food, such as additives used to increase sensory stimulation, preservatives used to preserve freshness,

On August 31, 2022, Fangfang Zhang's team at Tufts University, in collaboration with researchers from Harvard University and other institutions, published a paper entitled: Association of ultra-processed food consumption in the top international medical journal "British Medical Journal" (BMJ).

The study showed that regular consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a 29% increased risk of colorectal cancer in men and a 72% increased risk of distal colon cancer in men

In addition, sugar-sweetened beverages were associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer in men, while yogurt was associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer in women

Compared with other cancer types, colorectal cancer may be the cancer most affected by diet, and processed meat is mostly ultra-processed food, which is an important risk factor for colorectal cancer, said Dr.

The study, published in the BMJ, analyzed three large prospective studies including more than 200,000 participants (159,907 women and 46,341 men) that assessed their dietary intake and Follow-up for more than 25 years

Daily intake of ultra-processed foods for men and women

For the BMJ study, the research team divided participants into five equal groups based on their ultra-processed food intake, ranked from low to high

A total of 1,294 cases of colorectal cancer in men and 1,922 in women were recorded in the study, which followed these more than 200,000 participants for more than 25 years

The research team found that the strongest association between colorectal cancer and ultra-processed foods in men came from ready-to-eat meat, poultry or fish products (including processed meats such as sausage, bacon, ham, fish patties, etc.

But not all ultra-processed foods are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer

Overall, there was no association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and colorectal cancer risk in women

Typically, ultra-processed foods are associated with poorer dietary quality, but there may be other factors beyond the poor dietary quality of ultra-processed foods that affect colorectal cancer risk

People's reliance on ultra-processed foods is often due to ease of access and convenience

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