Foods which make up to half the average diet have been linked with an increased risk of lung cancer.
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) – such as processed sauces, crisps, processed meats and many ready meals – have previously been linked to more than 30 harmful effects, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and shorter life expectancy.
However, a new study carried out by the research journal Thorax has added lung cancer to the list of potential risks associated with the consumption of UPFs.
Lung cancer is one of the most common variants of the disease worldwide, with more than 43,000 diagnoses every year in the UK alone, according to the NHS.
It normally displays no symptoms in its early stages, but the first signs picked up can include breathlessness, coughing up blood and unexplained tiredness.
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Now, researchers believe that limiting one’s intake of UPFs can help alleviate the risk of contracting this disease.
The new study was based on results taken from more than 101,000 participants, men and women of an average age of 62, who were all quizzed on their diet.
While there is no strict definition of a UPF, they are usually mass-produced and have added preservatives and additives usually designed to enhance their flavour and appearance.
In the study, researchers identified examples such as ice cream, bought sauces, sweets, soft drinks and ready-made burgers and pizza.
The researchers focused in particular on UPFs that included sour cream, as well as cream cheese, ice cream, frozen yoghurt, fried foods, bread, baked goods, salted snacks, breakfast cereals, instant noodles, shop-bought soups and sauces, margarine, confectionery, soft drinks, sweetened fruit drinks, restaurant/shop-bought hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza.
The three types of food that featured the most were:
- lunch meat (11%)
- diet or caffeinated soft drinks (just over 7%)
- decaffeinated soft drinks (nearly 7%)
Another common attribute of UPFs is their relatively low nutritional value, while they typically contain high sugar, salt and saturated fats.
A total of 1,706 lung cancer cases were found, of which the majority (1, 473 cases) were of the non-small cell variant, which is typically slow growing, while the rest (233) were of the more aggressive small cell variant.
No firm conclusions could be drawn from the research as it was purely observational and didn’t take into account any other possible contributing factors, such as participants’ smoking habits.
However, researchers said the increased prevalence of UPFs in diets was a possible factor behind the rise of ‘obesity, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, cancer and mortality’.
Nutritionist Rob Hobson said people should aim to make small shifts towards improving their diet rather than ‘pointing the finger’ at certain foods.
But he told The Independent that the study’s findings make the case for looking into the ‘food environment’ in which people are living, where UPFs are typically cheap, readily available and heavily promoted by various channels.
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