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Ultra-processed foods are full of Preservatives, additives and fragrances Enhancer has associated with increased risk of lung cancer.
In the UK and US, more than half of the average diet consists of ultra-processed foods (UPF), such as ready-to-eat foods, fast food and carbonated drinks.
A previous BMJ study in 2024 linked UPF to 32 harmful health effects, including increased risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, poor mental health and premature death.
Now, eating UPF vs. lung cancerAccording to the World Cancer Research Fund, it is the most common cancer in the world.
In 2020, there were an estimated 2.2 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths from the disease globally, researcher Behind the study published in Respiratory Journal Chest explain.
But limiting consumption of these foods could help curb the disease’s global impact researcher explain.
Although there is no exact definition of UPF, these foods often undergo multiple processing steps, contain numerous additives and preservatives, and are available ready-to-eat or heated.
The researchers used data from the U.S. Screening Trial for Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer, which involved 155,000 participants aged 55 to 74 who were randomly assigned to a screening group or a control group between November 1993 and July 2001. Cancer diagnoses were followed until the end of 2009, and cancer deaths were followed until the end of 2018.
The study included a total of 101,732 people (50,187 men and 51,545 women, average age 62 years) who filled out a dietary habits questionnaire when participating in the trial. Foods are classified as: unprocessed or minimally processed; containing processed cooking ingredients; processed; or ultra-processed.
The researchers focused specifically on UPF, including sour cream, cream cheese, ice cream, frozen yogurt, fried foods, bread, baked goods, salty snacks, breakfast cereals, instant noodles, store-bought soups and sauces, margarine, candy, soft drinks, sweetened fruit drinks, restaurant/store-bought hamburgers, hot dogs and pizza.
The three most popular foods are lunch meat (11%), diet or caffeinated soft drinks (just over 7%) and decaffeinated soft drinks (nearly 7%).
Participants were followed for 12 years, during which time 1,706 new cases of lung cancer were diagnosed, including 1,473 cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 233 cases of small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
After accounting for potential influencing factors such as smoking and overall diet quality, participants who ate the most UPF were 41% more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer than those who ate the least.
Overall, they were 37% more likely to be diagnosed with NSCLC and 44% more likely to be diagnosed with SCLC.
Because this was an observational study, firm conclusions about cause and effect cannot be drawn, and the researchers acknowledged that they could not account for smoking intensity, which might have had an effect. Dietary information was collected only once, so changes over time cannot be accounted for, and the number of cancer diagnoses was small.
But researchers did highlight that UPF has lower nutritional value and contains excess salt, sugar and fat.
“Increased UPF consumption may contribute to global increases in obesity, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, cancer, and mortality, as these foods have been shown to be risk factors for these diseases,” the researchers said.
“Industrial processing alters the food matrix, affecting nutrient availability and absorption, while also producing harmful contaminants,” they added, highlighting acrolein, which is present in grilled sausages and caramel candies and is a toxic component of cigarette smoke. Packaging materials may also play a role, they believe.
“You can’t say from this study that UPF causes cancer because it’s observational, so we’re looking at associations rather than direct effects. But it does strengthen the case for looking more closely at the food environments many people live in, where UPFs are cheap, convenient, and sold in large quantities, making them the first choice for many people.” Rob Hobson, nutritionist and author of Food Safety Not dealing with your family life,Tell independent.
Instead of “putting numbers on individual foods,” he suggests, make small changes in the direction of a healthier diet.
“This might mean cooking from scratch whenever possible, adding more whole foods like vegetables, legumes and grains, or simply becoming more aware of how often UPF occurs throughout your day,” he says.
“It’s not about perfection, it’s about balance and understanding how your food choices can support or harm your long-term health.”