Addiction to processed food could lead to cancer – Study

Processed foods have never been the favorite of the health experts, but many Americans relish their fries and packaged meals which are highly processed. As per a new research ultra-processed foods could be directly linked towards the risk of developing cancer. The research was conducted by the School of Public Health of the Imperial College. The researchers had classified some of the ultra-processed foods including cereals, carbonated drinks, packaged bread and pre-packaged meals.

It was noted by the authors that such foods contain ingredients which are typically not used in household cooking and are made of derived ingredients like modified starch and high fructose corn syrup. The researchers noticed that people who consumed such convenience foods were at a potentially higher risk of developing some life-threatening cancers. The study saw participation of 200,000 middle-aged people, who were followed for ten years. It was concluded that the brain and ovarian cancers is more likely to develop in people who ate such food while the ovarian and breast cancers are more likely to kill them. It was also found that as the participants increased their processed food consumption by ten percent, there was a 2 percent increased risk of developing cancer. The authors however, also considered some of the lifestyle habits like diets, smoking and exercise along with their respective body mass index.

Dr. Eszter Vamous, a study author in a statement said that the study cannot prove causation but as per the available evidence, reduction in consumption of ultra-processed food can provide important health benefits. Vamous also added that the research is an addition to the growing evidence that processed foods can negatively impact on people’s health.

The recent study was carried out after data from the University of Michigan suggested that the Americans were getting addicted to processed food. Some of the common symptoms of the junk food addiction included intense cravings, not able to limit processed food despite wanting to.

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