Key Summary
- People who consume high amounts of UPFs, which contain preservatives, additives and flavour enhancers, were more likely to develop lung cancer
- Researchers tracked the health and food habits of more than 100,000 US adults
- They found an increased risk for both non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer
Consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF), such as ready meals, fast food and fizzy drinks, can significantly increase the risk of lung cancer, says a study conducted in the US.
There were an estimated 2.2 million new cases of lung cancer and 1.8 million deaths from the disease worldwide in 2020, researchers of the study published in the journal Thorax said.
People who consumed the highest amounts of UPFs, which contain preservatives, additives and flavour enhancers, were 41 per cent more likely to develop lung cancer compared with those who consumed the least amount, academics said.
Researchers tracked the health and food habits of more than 100,000 US adults, with an average age of 63. They were tracked for 12 years, and the team identified 1,706 cases of lung cancer.
They found an increased risk for both non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer.
The researchers claimed that they did make adjustments to their findings based on whether or not people smoked, but they did not make adjustments for smoking intensity, which may have an impact.
They said that additional research in other populations and settings is warranted, but claimed that limiting UPF could contribute to reducing the global burden of lung cancer.
A BMJ study in 2024 linked UPFs to 32 harmful health effects, including a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, adverse mental health, and early death.
