Ultraprocessed foods such as soda, microwaveable food and salty snacks linked to an array of cancers, according to study of 197, 000 people

In order to prolong their shelf life, highly processed food often contains 
additives such as flavor enhancers, sweeteners, and industrial chemicals

People who eat more highly processed foods such as fast food and salty 
snacks could face an increased risk of cancer, especially ovarian cancer 
and breast cancer, researchers have found.

A study of more than 197,000 U.K. adults ages 40 to 69 was published this 
month by the Lancet, a peer-reviewed medical journal. The authors said 
this is one of the biggest sample sizes ever used to research the effects 
on health of ultraprocessed foods.

Ultraprocessed foods are items such as soda, sausages, salty snacks and 
microwavable meals that are produced in a highly industrialized 
environment. Those foods contain high amounts of sugar, fat and sodium and 
are low in essential nutrients such as fiber and vitamins. 

But the lack of nutrients is not the only issue: In order to prolong their 
shelf life, highly processed food often contains additives such as flavor 
enhancers and sweeteners as well as industrial chemicals, some of which 
are introduced during the production process and some that leach into the 
food from packaging. 

Some of those additives, known as endocrine disruptors, affect the human 
body’s endocrine or hormonal system, which can lead to obesity and to a 
higher risk of hormone-sensitive cancers, such as breast and ovarian 
cancers, said Jeanine Genkinger, associate professor of epidemiology at 
the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York. 
Genkinger was not involved in the study.

Chemicals in food
Phthalates, chemicals that are found in some types of food packaging and 
some fast-food products, are also a type of endocrine disruptor. “The 
chemicals get into food mainly through packaging and food handling 
equipment, like cellophane, paper and paperboard, and plastic in contact 
with food,” according to the Environmental Defense Fund, a nonprofit 
environmental advocacy organization. “While used in many consumer 
products, prescription drugs and medical devices, food is a major source 
of exposure to phthalates.”

Between 2009 and 2012, the participants self-reported their food intake 
using a “web-based 24-hour recall” conducted five times between 2009 and 
2012, and the researchers monitored their health through January 2021. The 
researchers calculated participants’ consumption of ultraprocessed food as 
a percentage of their total food intake. 

Over the years, the authors observed that every 10-percentage-point 
increase in consumption of ultraprocessed foods was associated with an 
increased risk of cancer overall, as well as with higher mortality rates 
from ovarian cancer and breast cancer. 

But not everyone has the same cancer risks, Genkinger said. Lower-income 
people and people who don’t have access to fresh food are often the most 
vulnerable.

Studies show that lower-income households purchase fewer healthy foods 
than higher-income households do and also buy more sugary drinks and 
snacks and fewer vegetables and fiber-rich foods.

Food deserts
One reason: In the U.S., one in five Black households is located in a 
“food desert” — an area where it’s difficult to buy affordable or good-
quality fresh food — according to a report published by the consulting 
firm McKinsey & Co.in 2021. 

Last year, President Joe Biden spoke about the need to eliminate food 
deserts, defined as areas — predominantly low- and moderate-income 
communities — where people have to travel miles to purchase fresh produce 
and other healthy foods. The White House pledged grant and loan funding to 
encourage grocery stores to open in these areas.

As food prices have been rising — in some cases at a record pace — it has 
become even more difficult for lower-income households to purchase foods 
high in nutritional quality, Simone A. French, professor of epidemiology 
and community Health at the School of Public Health of the University of 
Minnesota, said in an email to MarketWatch. 

And because the higher consumption of processed foods can lead to long-
term health issues, Genkinger said, “individuals who are more vulnerable 
or disadvantaged are going to be more vulnerable.” But, she noted, 
“ultraprocessed foods [are] cheaper and easier to prepare.”

The Lancet study adds to a growing body of research focused on the effects 
of eating processed foods on health. One 2022 study concluded that higher 
consumption of ultraprocessed foods could lead to cognitive decline.

The average consumption of ultraprocessed foods among the study’s 
participants was close to 23% of total food intake. During the follow-up 
period, 15,921 individuals developed cancer and 4,009 cancer-related 
deaths occurred. 

According to a separate analysis of 99 peer-reviewed studies covering more 
than 1.3 million people, reported in 2021, ultraprocessed foods made up 
more than 50% of people’s diets, on average, in both the U.S. and the 
U.K., far higher than the 23% reported by the U.K. participants in the 
Lancet survey.

<https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-perils-of-ultraprocessed-food-
11675477040?siteid=yhoof2>