Consuming a large amount of ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased risk of mouth and throat cancer.
- Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with a higher risk of head and neck cancer and esophageal adenocarcinoma.
- Adiposity explained only a small proportion of this link.
- This increased risk could be due to additives contained in ultra-processed products and contaminants present in packaging materials.
Biscuits, sodas, chips, instant noodles, cereal bars… These products are known to be factors of obesity. Recently, researchers at the University of Bristol (United Kingdom) showed that these ultra-processed foods increased the risk of developing mouth and throat cancer. In order to reach this conclusion, they conducted a study whose results were published in the journal European Journal of Nutrition.
In the research, scientists investigated the role of adiposity in the associations between ultra-processed food consumption and upper aerodigestive tract cancer. To do this, they analyzed data on the diet and lifestyle of 450,111 adults followed for approximately 14 years. “An analysis was carried out to assess the role of body mass index and waist/hip ratio in these links”the team clarified.
Mouth and throat cancer: 23% increased risk when eating ultra-processed foods
According to the results, 910 and 215 participants developed head and neck cancer and esophageal adenocarcinoma, respectively. In detail, eating 10% more ultra-processed foods is linked to a 23% higher risk of mouth and throat cancer and a 24% higher risk of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.
“Ultra-processed products have been linked to excess weight and increased body fat in several observational studies. This makes sense, because they are generally tasty, convenient and inexpensive, promoting the consumption of large servings and excessive calories. However, it was interesting to note that in our study, the link between consumption of upper aerodigestive tract cancers and mouth and throat cancer did not appear to be greatly explained by body mass index and waist-hip ratio”, said Fernanda Morales-Berstein, author of the work, in a statement.
Additives and contaminants present in the food packaging in question
According to the team, other mechanisms could explain this association. For example, additives, including emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners, previously associated with disease risk, as well as contaminants from food packaging and the manufacturing process, may partly explain the link between consumption of ultra- processed foods and mouth and throat cancer.
The authors believe that additional research needs to be conducted to identify other mechanisms that could explain the observed links. However, according to the research findings, body fat did not explain much of the association in this study. Fernanda Morales-Berstein concluded that it was “Focusing solely on weight loss treatments, such as semaglutide, is unlikely to contribute much to the prevention of upper digestive cancers associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods.”
