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The food of ultra-processed food (UPFS) has already been associated with 32 harmful effects of health, including an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and early death.
Now another study has associated a higher absorption of ultra-processed food with an increased risk of lung cancer.
Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world. It is the third most common cancer in the UK, in which around 49,000 people were diagnosed every year.
Earlier studies have found a “significant connection” between the absorption of UPF and the risk of several cancer, including intestinal, breast and pancreatic cancer.
You need to know the following about the latest study.
What is ultra-processed food first?
Ultra-processed foods are usually carried out several processing steps and contains long lists of additives and preservatives. It is often ready to eat or warmth.
Examples are ham, mass bread, muesli, chips and cookies.
It is believed that more than half of the typical British daily diet consists of ultra-processed food. But not all of these foods are terrible news–Example of yogurt and high-fiber grain can be part of a healthy diet.
However, there is a clear connection between negative health results and diets with high UPF.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) stated: “We still don’t know whether it is because these foods are unhealthy because of their production or whether it is a large majority of processed food, saturated fat, salt and sugar.
The UPF recording also increases the risk of weight gain, obesity and obesity, which is the second largest cause of cancer in Great Britain.
Since the high consumption was already associated with an increased risk of several health states, the researchers wanted to know whether this could also include lung cancer.
What has the new lung cancer study found?
The researchers used data from the US prostate, lung, intestinal and ovarian -cancer -screening studies (PLCO) in which 155,000 participants aged 55 to 74 were involved.
The cancer diagnoses were followed by the end of 2009 and the end of 2018.
Around 101,732 people (50,187 men and 51,545 women; average age 62) who fill out a questionnaire on the food frequency for their eating habits when entering the tests were included in the study.
Foods were processed as: unprocessed or minimally; contains processed culinary ingredients; processed; and ultra-processed.
The three types of Upf with the most were lunch (11%), diet or caffeine soft drinks (just more than 7%) and decaffeinated soft drinks (almost 7%).
1,706 new cases of lung cancer were diagnosed over a period of 12 years, including 1,473 (86%) cases of non-small cell lung cancer and 233 (14%) lung cancer with small cell.
After taking into account factors such as smoking and general nutritional quality, researchers discovered that participants in whom a diet had eaten with high UPF was diagnosed 41% more often with lung cancer than those who at least ate Upf.
In particular, 37% was diagnosed more often with non-small cell lung cancer and 44% more often diagnosed with small cell-lung cancer. The results were divided into thorax in the respiratory journal.
The study has major restrictions
The study is observation, so that no fixed conclusions can be used to cause the cause and effect.
The researchers also admitted that they were unable to take into account the smoking tensity (if you have given smoking, the main cause of lung cancer), and the nutritional information was collected, so that changes could not be taken into account over time.
In response to the study, Professor Sam Hare, a brustradiologist consultant at the Royal Free London NHS Trust, said: “A quarter of the lung cancer cases occur in non -smokers, so we have to examine whether other factors are associated with lung cancer. We also know that immunity is associated with cancer biology.
Nevertheless, he said that more work is necessary to determine a direct cause between UPFS and lung cancer.
“It is crucial that the study makes some adjustments to smoking status, in which smoking is not taken into account, which is known to be directly related to the development of lung cancer,” he said.
“The eating habits change considerably in the course of such long -term studies. It is therefore difficult to come directly to the conclusion that lung cancer is only related to the level of UPF consumption, since it was only explained at the beginning of the study.”
Professor Tom Sanders, an expert in nutrition at King’s College London, also found the smoking connection and added: “unhealthy diets often go hand in hand with smoking habits and the low socio-economic status. However, it does not seem to explain a plausible mechanism why ultra-processed food should influence the risk of lung cancer.”
Should you cut out UPFS?
The study researchers suggested limiting the limitation of ultra-processed food to contain the global tribute of lung cancer.
Super markets house thousands of UPF products, which makes it very difficult to turn to during their weekly grocery store. Often these are the most affordable products.
The British Heart Foundation previously advised: “Instead of trying to completely cut out these foods, you think of the balance in your diet.
“Make sure that there are only minimally processed foods – eat fruit and vegetables for your meals and drink water instead of sugar -containing drinks – and try to fit the time to cook for the week.”
Whole grain products, fruit and vegetables could help protect against cancer, so it is certainly worthwhile that you are trying to add more to your car if you can.
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