The study involved more than 197,000 people in the UK, more than half of whom were women.
“Processed foods include ready-to-eat soups and sauces, frozen pizza and ready-made meals, as well as sausages, french fries, soft drinks and biscuits bought at home,” said lead author of the study Dr. Shop, cakes, sweets, ice cream and many more,” according to CNN.
“Our bodies may not react in the same way to these ultra-processed ingredients and additives as they do to fresh, nutritious foods that are minimally processed,” Zhang added.
dangerous relationship
The study, whose findings were published in the journal eClinical Medicine, examined the relationship between eating ultra-processed foods and 34 different types of cancer over a 10-year period. The researchers examined information about the eating habits of 197,426 people. The study found that the amount of ultra-processed foods the subjects in the study consumed ranged from 9.1 to 41.4 percent of their diet. Eating patterns were compared with medical records that included cancer diagnoses and deaths. Each 10 percent increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a 2 percent increase in the risk of any cancer, and a 19 percent increase in the risk of ovarian cancer. The study also found that deaths due to cancer also increased. For every additional 10 percent increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods, the risk of dying from any cancer increased by 6 percent, while the risk of dying from ovarian cancer increased by 30 percent. Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of death among women, according to the American Cancer Society.
