Eating junk food may increase your risk of cancer. A study published in the Lancet last month indicates that higher consumption of ultra-processed or junk foods, which is basically any food out of a packet and has a relatively long shelf life, is associated with a greater risk of overall cancer, specifically ovarian and brain cancer. It is also associated with an increased risk of dying from cancer, most notably ovarian and breast cancer.
The study indicates if one increased ultra-processed food in their diet by 10 percent it could increase their risk of cancer by 2 percent, ovarian cancer by 19 percent and their chances of dying from the disease could increase by 6 percent.
So, what is ultra-processed food? The Lancet study breaks up food we consume into four sections. The first, which is the healthy section is unprocessed food, mainly perishables such as milk, yogurt, fruits, vegetables, fresh juices, meat, eggs and minimally processed such as rice, pasta, tea, coffee, nuts etc. The second segment comprises processed ingredients such as sugar, butter, oils. The third is processed foods such as beer, wine, cheese, canned meat and fish and processed bread.
And the last section, the one we are most concerned with here is ultra-processed food, better known as junk food, which as mentioned earlier is basically anything that is in a packet and is high in salt, sugar, fats, preservatives – such as carbonated drinks, fruit and dairy-based drinks, ready-to-eat/heat food, pastries, buns, heavily-processed meats, sauces, spreads, biscuits, cereals, salty snacks and artificial sweeteners as well.
Studies have indicated higher intake of artificial sweeteners has also been associated with higher risks of overall, breast and obesity related-cancers.
What is so bad about ultra-processed foods? These foods may additionally increase cancer risk via contaminants which are formed during the industrial process, use of food additives, certain materials of packaging that could carry carcinogenic properties. For example, high intake of nitrate and nitrite from food additives, dietary exposure to an industrial chemical such as acrylamide which is formed during high temperature cooking procedures. Not just cancer, but high consumption junk food is also linked to other diseases such as chronic inflammatory diseases, obesity, cholesterol, diabetes, amongst others.
As far as India is concerned, it has a growing problem when it comes to junk food. Data indicates the retail value of packaged junk food and soft drinks rose 42x in just 13 years (from 2006 to 2019). And today, 68 percent of the products in the Indian retail food market have excess amounts of at least one ingredient of concern.
And when it comes to cancer, India has a growing burden with one in nine people likely to develop cancer in their lifetimes. Risk factors include air pollution, ageing population, lifestyle. Experts say at least 50 percent cancer cases could be potentially preventable as they are risked to external factors and an unhealthy diet is a key modifiable one.
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