bogglidite
2023-02-07 18:15:07 UTC
In order to prolong their shelf life, highly processed food often contains
additives such as flavor enhancers, sweeteners, and industrial chemicals
People who eat more highly processed foods such as fast food and salty
snacks could face an increased risk of cancer, especially ovarian cancer
and breast cancer, researchers have found.
A study of more than 197,000 U.K. adults ages 40 to 69 was published this
month by the Lancet, a peer-reviewed medical journal. The authors said
this is one of the biggest sample sizes ever used to research the effects
on health of ultraprocessed foods.
Ultraprocessed foods are items such as soda, sausages, salty snacks and
microwavable meals that are produced in a highly industrialized
environment. Those foods contain high amounts of sugar, fat and sodium and
are low in essential nutrients such as fiber and vitamins.
But the lack of nutrients is not the only issue: In order to prolong their
shelf life, highly processed food often contains additives such as flavor
enhancers and sweeteners as well as industrial chemicals, some of which
are introduced during the production process and some that leach into the
food from packaging.
Some of those additives, known as endocrine disruptors, affect the human
bodys endocrine or hormonal system, which can lead to obesity and to a
higher risk of hormone-sensitive cancers, such as breast and ovarian
cancers, said Jeanine Genkinger, associate professor of epidemiology at
the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York.
Genkinger was not involved in the study.
Chemicals in food
Phthalates, chemicals that are found in some types of food packaging and
some fast-food products, are also a type of endocrine disruptor. The
chemicals get into food mainly through packaging and food handling
equipment, like cellophane, paper and paperboard, and plastic in contact
with food, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, a nonprofit
environmental advocacy organization. While used in many consumer
products, prescription drugs and medical devices, food is a major source
of exposure to phthalates.
Between 2009 and 2012, the participants self-reported their food intake
using a web-based 24-hour recall conducted five times between 2009 and
2012, and the researchers monitored their health through January 2021. The
researchers calculated participants consumption of ultraprocessed food as
a percentage of their total food intake.
Over the years, the authors observed that every 10-percentage-point
increase in consumption of ultraprocessed foods was associated with an
increased risk of cancer overall, as well as with higher mortality rates
from ovarian cancer and breast cancer.
But not everyone has the same cancer risks, Genkinger said. Lower-income
people and people who dont have access to fresh food are often the most
vulnerable.
Studies show that lower-income households purchase fewer healthy foods
than higher-income households do and also buy more sugary drinks and
snacks and fewer vegetables and fiber-rich foods.
Food deserts
One reason: In the U.S., one in five Black households is located in a
food desert an area where its difficult to buy affordable or good-
quality fresh food according to a report published by the consulting
firm McKinsey & Co.in 2021.
Last year, President Joe Biden spoke about the need to eliminate food
deserts, defined as areas predominantly low- and moderate-income
communities where people have to travel miles to purchase fresh produce
and other healthy foods. The White House pledged grant and loan funding to
encourage grocery stores to open in these areas.
As food prices have been rising in some cases at a record pace it has
become even more difficult for lower-income households to purchase foods
high in nutritional quality, Simone A. French, professor of epidemiology
and community Health at the School of Public Health of the University of
Minnesota, said in an email to MarketWatch.
And because the higher consumption of processed foods can lead to long-
term health issues, Genkinger said, individuals who are more vulnerable
or disadvantaged are going to be more vulnerable. But, she noted,
ultraprocessed foods [are] cheaper and easier to prepare.
The Lancet study adds to a growing body of research focused on the effects
of eating processed foods on health. One 2022 study concluded that higher
consumption of ultraprocessed foods could lead to cognitive decline.
The average consumption of ultraprocessed foods among the studys
participants was close to 23% of total food intake. During the follow-up
period, 15,921 individuals developed cancer and 4,009 cancer-related
deaths occurred.
According to a separate analysis of 99 peer-reviewed studies covering more
than 1.3 million people, reported in 2021, ultraprocessed foods made up
more than 50% of peoples diets, on average, in both the U.S. and the
U.K., far higher than the 23% reported by the U.K. participants in the
Lancet survey.
<https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-perils-of-ultraprocessed-food-
11675477040?siteid=yhoof2>
additives such as flavor enhancers, sweeteners, and industrial chemicals
People who eat more highly processed foods such as fast food and salty
snacks could face an increased risk of cancer, especially ovarian cancer
and breast cancer, researchers have found.
A study of more than 197,000 U.K. adults ages 40 to 69 was published this
month by the Lancet, a peer-reviewed medical journal. The authors said
this is one of the biggest sample sizes ever used to research the effects
on health of ultraprocessed foods.
Ultraprocessed foods are items such as soda, sausages, salty snacks and
microwavable meals that are produced in a highly industrialized
environment. Those foods contain high amounts of sugar, fat and sodium and
are low in essential nutrients such as fiber and vitamins.
But the lack of nutrients is not the only issue: In order to prolong their
shelf life, highly processed food often contains additives such as flavor
enhancers and sweeteners as well as industrial chemicals, some of which
are introduced during the production process and some that leach into the
food from packaging.
Some of those additives, known as endocrine disruptors, affect the human
bodys endocrine or hormonal system, which can lead to obesity and to a
higher risk of hormone-sensitive cancers, such as breast and ovarian
cancers, said Jeanine Genkinger, associate professor of epidemiology at
the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York.
Genkinger was not involved in the study.
Chemicals in food
Phthalates, chemicals that are found in some types of food packaging and
some fast-food products, are also a type of endocrine disruptor. The
chemicals get into food mainly through packaging and food handling
equipment, like cellophane, paper and paperboard, and plastic in contact
with food, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, a nonprofit
environmental advocacy organization. While used in many consumer
products, prescription drugs and medical devices, food is a major source
of exposure to phthalates.
Between 2009 and 2012, the participants self-reported their food intake
using a web-based 24-hour recall conducted five times between 2009 and
2012, and the researchers monitored their health through January 2021. The
researchers calculated participants consumption of ultraprocessed food as
a percentage of their total food intake.
Over the years, the authors observed that every 10-percentage-point
increase in consumption of ultraprocessed foods was associated with an
increased risk of cancer overall, as well as with higher mortality rates
from ovarian cancer and breast cancer.
But not everyone has the same cancer risks, Genkinger said. Lower-income
people and people who dont have access to fresh food are often the most
vulnerable.
Studies show that lower-income households purchase fewer healthy foods
than higher-income households do and also buy more sugary drinks and
snacks and fewer vegetables and fiber-rich foods.
Food deserts
One reason: In the U.S., one in five Black households is located in a
food desert an area where its difficult to buy affordable or good-
quality fresh food according to a report published by the consulting
firm McKinsey & Co.in 2021.
Last year, President Joe Biden spoke about the need to eliminate food
deserts, defined as areas predominantly low- and moderate-income
communities where people have to travel miles to purchase fresh produce
and other healthy foods. The White House pledged grant and loan funding to
encourage grocery stores to open in these areas.
As food prices have been rising in some cases at a record pace it has
become even more difficult for lower-income households to purchase foods
high in nutritional quality, Simone A. French, professor of epidemiology
and community Health at the School of Public Health of the University of
Minnesota, said in an email to MarketWatch.
And because the higher consumption of processed foods can lead to long-
term health issues, Genkinger said, individuals who are more vulnerable
or disadvantaged are going to be more vulnerable. But, she noted,
ultraprocessed foods [are] cheaper and easier to prepare.
The Lancet study adds to a growing body of research focused on the effects
of eating processed foods on health. One 2022 study concluded that higher
consumption of ultraprocessed foods could lead to cognitive decline.
The average consumption of ultraprocessed foods among the studys
participants was close to 23% of total food intake. During the follow-up
period, 15,921 individuals developed cancer and 4,009 cancer-related
deaths occurred.
According to a separate analysis of 99 peer-reviewed studies covering more
than 1.3 million people, reported in 2021, ultraprocessed foods made up
more than 50% of peoples diets, on average, in both the U.S. and the
U.K., far higher than the 23% reported by the U.K. participants in the
Lancet survey.
<https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-perils-of-ultraprocessed-food-
11675477040?siteid=yhoof2>