Processed foods increase the risk of cancer

reference

fiolet T., Srour B., Sellem L., et al. Consumption of ultra-processed foods and risk of cancer: Results of the prospective Nutrinet-Santé cohort. bmj . 2018; 360: K322.

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population -based cohort study

objective

Assessment of the expected relationships between the consumption of ultra-processed foods* and the risk of cancer

participant

Participants in this study are the French Nutrinet-Santé-Kohorte (2009-17), which includes 104,980 adults (average age 42.8 years).

study parameters evaluated

The food intake was recorded by repeated 24-hour nutritional records, which served to capture the usual consumption of 3,300 different foods. The articles were categorized according to their processing level based on the Nova classification, a classification of foods based on the scope and purpose of industrial food processing. Cancer cases were identified and confirmed using self -disclosure, medical files, data from the French national health insurance system and the French national dying register.

target parameter

Associations between the inclusion of ultra-processed food and the overall risk of breast, prostate and colon cancer, evaluated by multivariable Cox-proportional hazard models, adapted to known risk factors.

important knowledge

The intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with a higher risk of breast cancer (n = 739 cases) and total cancer (n = 2,228 cases). In the event of an increase in the proportion of ultra-processed food in the diet by 10 %, the Hazard Ratio [HR] was 1.12 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-1.18; p for trend <0.001) for cancer as a whole and 1.11 (KI: 1.02–1.22; p Trend = 0.02) for breast cancer. This means that an increase in the proportion of ultra -processed foods in diet by 10 % with a statistically significant increase in total cancer risk by 12 % and the risk of breast cancer was connected by 11 %. These results remained statistically significant

practice implications

The American Institute for Cancer Research claims that about a third of the world's most common cancer could be avoided by changing lifestyle and eating habits in industrialized countries. ^{1 within naturopathy, we have seen statements that indicate that up to 95 % of cancer by nutrition and lifestyle are. 2 that appears exaggerated and lets us ask: How much risk of creating cancer can the nutrition be attributed exactly? In recent years, nutrition in many countries has shifted dramatically towards higher quantities of ultra -processed foods, which are foods that have been subjected to several physical and chemical processes to increase their tastiness, durability, security and affordability.}

Polls carried out in Europe, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Brazil showed that these ultra-processed foods today make up between 25 % and 50 % of the total daily energy consumption. ^4-7

If every 10 percent increase in calories from ultra-processed foods is associated with an 11 percent increase in the overall crayfish risk, we certainly have a serious problem when brewing.

There are a number of reasons why ultra-processed foods can increase the risk of cancer. They have a higher level of total fat and saturated fatty acids than less processed foods. Consumption of fat can be associated with a risk for some types of cancer or not (prostate cancer yes; breast cancer no). The low vitamin density and the high sugar and salt content of these foods can also play a role. The low fiber content affects the intestinal and can therefore change the risk of cancer. ^{8 The processing can lead to the formation of carcinogenic chemicals such as acrylamide, heterozyclic amines and polycyclic hydrocarbons. Preparation get into the food, such as B. Bisphenol A. Some food additives, such as B. sodium nitrite, can be legally added to processed meat, but still be carcinogenic.}

The actual concept of examining the effects of food processing on the risk of illness is still in its infancy. It was only when this Nova classification system was created in the past one or two years or two that these effects were potentially quantified.

While this data only seem to confirm a message that we have been trying to convey to our patients for decades, the extent of the effect is surprising. If every 10 percent increase in calories from ultra-processed foods goes hand in hand with an 11 percent increase in the overall cancer risk, we certainly have a serious problem when brewing. Many sections of the population consume far more than 10 % of their energy from ultra-processed foods.

Many of our patients believe that food that are natural, biologically, free of genetically modified organisms (GMO) or gluten -free are a healthy choice. None of these marked categories measures the degree of processing, and only a few data combine these categories with a significant opposite risk of cancer. Therefore, for patients who want to reduce their risk of cancer, the reduction of the consumption of ultra-processed food now seems to be a decent, evidence-based choice in food selection.

*The present paper defines ultra-processed foods according to the Nova classification system and includes the following:

"Mass -produced packaged breads and rolls; sweet or hearty packed snacks; industrial confectionery and dessert; lemonades and sweetened drinks; meatballs, poultry and fish nuges and other reconstituted meat products that were processed as salt (e.g. nitrites); instant noodles and soups; Frozen or durable meals; Dyks, emulsifiers, moisture -free, sugar -free sweeteners and other cosmetic additives are often added to these products in order to imitate the sensory properties of unprocessed or minimally processed foods and their culinary preparations or to obscure undesirable properties of the end product. ”