Consumption of ultra-processed foods is related to cancers of the upper digestive tract

(Lori Solomon and MD Mark Arredondo – HealthDay News) — A increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is associated with an increased risk of head and neck cancer (HNC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC), according to a study published online Nov. 22 in the European Journal of Nutrition.

Fernanda Morales-Berstein, from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and colleagues investigated the role of adiposity in the associations between UPF consumption and HNC and OAC. The analysis included 450,111 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort.

The researchers found that over a mean follow-up of 14.13 years, a 10 percent higher g/day consumption of UPF was associated with an increased risk of HNC (hazard ratio, 1.23) and OAC (hazard ratio, risk, 1.24). Five percent of the association with HNC was mediated by waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), while body mass index mediated 13 percent and WHR mediated 15 percent of the association between UPF consumption and the risk of ACO. A positive association between UPF consumption and accidental death was observed in the negative control analysis.

“Focusing solely on weight loss treatment, such as semaglutide, is unlikely to contribute much to the prevention of upper aerodigestive tract cancers related to UPF consumption,” Morales-Berstein said in a statement.

One author revealed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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