Study finds differing links between ultra-processed foods and bowel cancer risk

Brisbane (ANTARA) — A study has found differing links between ultra-processed foods and bowel cancer risk. It found that consuming ultra-processed meat products, including hot dogs and sandwich meat, was associated with a higher risk of bowel cancer. By contrast, whole grains, fibre, dairy products and calcium from ultra-processed foods, such as wholemeal bread and flavoured yoghurt, were associated with a lower risk, according to a recent statement from Australia’s QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.

The researchers also found that replacing 10 per cent of ultra-processed food intake with an equal weight of minimally processed foods was associated with a 2 per cent reduction in bowel cancer incidence.

The study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, analysed dietary data from more than 460,000 US adults aged 50 to 71 who completed questionnaires in the mid-1990s. The participants were monitored for almost 20 years, during which 10,075 were diagnosed with bowel cancer.

The researchers said the findings highlight the diversity of ultra-processed foods and the importance of overall diet quality, including prioritising nutrient-dense foods and limiting foods high in added sugar, salt and saturated fat.