Eating more ultra-processed foods increases risk of early-onset colorectal cancer

taking diet highest A new US study shows that consumption of ultra-processed foods increases the risk of early colorectal cancer compared with less consumption of such foods, pointing to a possible reason for rising cancer rates in young adults.

Ultra-processed foods are ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat foods that often contain high levels of sugar, salt, saturated fat and food additives to keep them stable and preserved on the shelf – things like mass-produced breads, breakfast cereals and instant soups.

Scientists say the rise in rates of colorectal cancer among people in their 20s, 30s and 40s in many countries may simply be due to genetics. This has led medical researchers to investigate lifestyle factors such as diet, weight, physical activity levels, changes in drinking patterns, etc. and more.

Now a 24-year study of nearly 30,000 female participantsHarvard led cipents Nurse Health Study II found that people who ate the highest levels of ultra-processed food The risk of developing a colorectal polyp – a precursor lesion to cancer – is 1.45 times higher than those with low intakes. The participants themselves answered food questionnaires every four years.

“There is growing evidence that there is a strong reason to think about limiting your intake of ultra-processed food,” said Dr. Andrew Chan, a gastroenterologist at Mass General Brigham and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Chan is a co-author of the study published Thursday JAMA Oncologysaid the high risk identified from eating ultra-processed foods is comparable to the risk associated with obesity or lack of physical activity.

Choose fresh, whole foods

modeling published Colorectal cancer increases among young adults diagnosed in August will double Every 15 years in both sexes in Canada, the US, Australia and the UK.

Dr. Shady Ashamalla, a surgical oncologist at Odette Cancer Center at Sunnybrook in Toronto, said he was impressed by the study. Such young patients are being treated rapidly.

“My very simple advice is to do what you can,” Ashamalla said, “when it comes to reducing your consumption of ultra-processed foods.

Registered dietitian Russell De Souza, associate professor and researcher at McMaster University’s Population Health Research Institute, offered similar advice.

De Souza said in an email, “Try to limit ultra-processed foods — they’re often loaded with sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, but they lack nutrients. These foods can increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, and even cancer, and they’re designed to make you overeat. Whenever possible, choose fresh, whole foods instead.”

While the link between ultra-processed foods and colorectal cancer is not as firmly established as major risk factors such as family history, the presence of polyps in the colon or rectum, or excess weight, de Souza said the Harvard team found that the effect persisted even after weight and diabetes were taken into account.

further studies Their consumption has also been linked to this other diseases,

“The sustainability of (ultra-processed food’s) links to heart, brain and gut disease signals a real concern. Food is something we control on a daily basis, so small changes toward whole foods can make a big difference,” he said.

Ashamala also called on health care systems to use the results of such studies for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer:

• Encourage vigilance about getting checked for symptoms such as blood in the stool or changes in bowel habits.
• Consider lowering the age recommendation from the current age of 50 to screening the general population with at-home kits and colonoscopy.

Typically when colorectal cancer is diagnosed in young adults, it has progressed to the point of manifesting with symptoms, Ashamalla said. In contrast, in older adults, polyps are often identified before they become advanced cancer.

Chan has broader questions to answer about whether the relationships observed in the study are due to cause and effect – so we can act as a society.

“Should we really be doing more to limit our population’s exposure to ultra-processed food through things like food labels or by changing the way we think about regulating foods?”