Ultra-Processed Food May Pose a Risk to Women Under 50
Midjourney
Skip The Junk: More and more research is emerging that eating lots of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) can increase your risk of many chronic health conditions. A new study suggests consuming UPFs can increase the risk of precancerous adenomas (polyps) — an indicator of future colorectal cancer — in women younger than 50.
The Study: Data came from 29,105 women from the Nurses’ Health Study II. Every four years, starting in 1991, the women were asked to complete a questionnaire about their eating habits. Those who ate the most UPFs (about 9.9 servings a day) had a 45% greater chance of having early-onset polyps than women who ate the least amount of UPFs (3.3 servings).
The Takeaway: Obesity and type 2 diabetes are linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer, and UPFs consumption can lead to those conditions. UPFs can also cause chronic inflammation, which is thought to upset the gut microbiome and may tie to colorectal cancer. The majority of colorectal cancers spring from adenomas.
Keep In Mind: The study showed a correlation between UPF consumption and polyp development, not causation. It relied on people’s recall of food they ate years before. Plus, the definition of UPFs is hazy, as there’s no universal definition yet.
