Eating ultra-processed foods increases risk of cancer: study

By Stephen Beech

Junk food increases the risk of bowel cancer, warns a new study.

Scientists say chronic inflammation - fuelled by a poor diet - plays a "vital" role in the growth and progression of the disease, which is the fourth most common cancer in the UK.

Now, researchers have uncovered a potential link between the Western diet – dominated by ultra-processed foods and unhealthy oils – and the chronic inflammation that drives tumor growth.

Ultra-processed foods are high in added sugar, fat and salt, and low in protein and fiber. Examples include ham, sausages, burgers, ice cream, crisps, mass-produced bread, breakfast cereals, and canned baked beans. biscuits, fizzy drinks, fruit-flavored yogurts, instant soups, and some alcoholic drinks such as rum.

Almost 44,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, every year in the UK, and it is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.

Researchers at the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute have already made major advancements in the understanding of bowel cancer.

The project’s first study examined how processed foods are likely hindering the body’s natural healing processes.

The findings, published online by the journal Gut, suggest bowel cancer may be fueled by the food on our plates.

Dr. Timothy Yeatman, of the University of South Florida, said: “It is well known that patients with unhealthy diets have increased inflammation in their bodies.

“We now see this inflammation in the colon tumors themselves, and cancer is like a chronic wound that won’t heal – if your body is living off of daily ultra-processed foods, its ability to heal that wound decreases due to the inflammation and suppression of the immune system that ultimately allows the cancer to grow.”

Dr. Yeatman says the findings emphasize the "urgent" need to re-evaluate the Western diet, which typically consists of excessive consumption of added sugars, saturated fats, ultra-processed foods, chemicals and inflammatory seed oils.

Previous studies showed an imbalanced diet not only impacts bowel cancer but also plays a role in other diseases - including Alzheimer’s, diabetes and cardiovascular conditions.

Professor Ganesh Halade, also of the University of South Florida, said: “Our bodies are designed to actively resolve inflammation through bioactive lipid compounds derived from the healthy fats, like avocados, that we consume.

“Bioactive lipids are very small molecules derived from the foods that we eat and, if the molecules are coming from processed food products, they directly imbalance the immune system and drive chronic inflammation.”

Halade used a highly sensitive analytical technique to identify trace amounts of lipids in 162 tumor samples from patients at Tampa General Hospital.

The tumors were frozen within 30 minutes of removal and transported to his lab.

Inside the tumors, the researchers observed an excess number of molecules that promote inflammation and a shortage of those that help resolve it and promote healing.

The research team say their findings pave the way for a new, natural approach - called "resolution medicine" - which focuses on restoring balance in the patient’s diet to treat bowel cancer more effectively.

Dr. Yeatman said: “A human’s immune system can be extremely powerful and drastically impact the tumor microenvironment, which is great if harnessed correctly for health and wellness.

“But not if it’s suppressed by inflammatory lipids from processed foods.”

He says resolution medicine would focus on reversing inflammation using healthy, unprocessed foods rich with omega-3 fatty acids and derivatives of fish oil - called “specialized pro-resolving mediators” - to restore the body’s healing mechanisms along with balanced sleep and exercise.

Examples of healthy, unprocessed foods include crab, salmon, halibut, spinach, brussels sprouts, seaweed, algae and grass-fed, pasture-raised meats.

Dr. Yeatman said: “This has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment, moving beyond drugs to harness natural healing processes."

He added: “It’s a vital step toward addressing chronic inflammation and preventing diseases before they start.”

The research team says early trials using specialized derivatives of fish oil have shown "promise" in addressing inflammation at its root cause.

The trials are underway, and the research team will continue studying resolution medicine and its impact on patient treatment and disease prevention.