INTERESTING ENGINEERING – Eating more ultra-processed foods (UPFs) may be associated with an increased risk of developing cancers of the mouth, throat, and esophagus.
Perhaps the most surprising revelation to come from the work is that obesity resulting from high UPF consumption was not the sole factor contributing to these cancers.
Fernanda Morales-Berstein, a Welcome Trust PhD student at the University of Bristol and the study’s lead author, said:
“UPFs have been associated with excess weight and increased body fat in several observational studies. This makes sense, as they are generally tasty, convenient and cheap, favouring the consumption of large portions and an excessive number of calories.”
She added that the analysis showed that the connection between eating UPFs and upper-aerodigestive tract cancers did not appear to be related to body mass index or waist-to-hip ratio.
“Reduced use of ultra-processed foods is strongly regarded as a positive step towards bettering dietary habits and avoiding nutrition-related health problems.”
According to the team’s findings, eating 10 percent more UPFs is connected with a 23 percent increased risk of head and neck cancer and a 24 percent increased risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma.
UPFs undergo extensive processing and contain a high number of additives, preservatives, flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers, meaning they may be inherently damaging to the human body irrespective of whether they lead to weight gain.
In addition, food packaging and the manufacturing process may also be to blame as they cause toxic chemicals to be added to the foods …
