What are ultra processed foods and do they cause cancer?

What are ultra-processed foods?

Ultra-processed food (UPF) is food that you cannot make in your own kitchen because it contains a lot of ingredients that you tend not to find in your cupboards. These foods are often cheap, convenient and have a long shelf-life.

Reema Patel, registered dietitian at Dietitian Fit, says ultra-processed foods normally have a long list of ingredients. "The ingredients may include additives such as emulsifiers, sweeteners, preservatives and stabilisers," she says.

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Are ultra processed foods bad for our health?

It’s accepted that ultra-processed foods don’t offer us many health benefits and therefore should be avoided or eaten in moderation. However, foods can be processed in many different ways, so some are worse for us than others.

Foods that are technically processed, such as low-sugar breakfast cereals, may contain added vitamins or minerals - so may be included as part of a healthy diet, however - they are often full of sweeteners and other chemicals. Many other processed foods contain a lot of sugar which makes us want to eat more as it activates the reward centre of our brains, which in turn makes us feel good.

Processed meats that are high in salt or fat like sausages or bacon have been linked to cancer².

"There is a relationship between a high intake of ultra-processed foods and certain health conditions, including cardiovascular disease³," says Patel. "Studies from 2023 showed that risk of certain cancers was related to the increased eating of ultra processed foods. This included breast, colorectal and pancreatic cancers⁴."

A review of 43 studies found that in 37 of the studies, at least one adverse health outcome was associated with consuming ultra-processed foods. These included obesity, heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome and even depression⁵.

More research is needed to understand the connection between ultra-processed foods and cancer. But it’s thought that the link may be due to the fact that ultra-processed foods generally contain more fats, sugars and salts. Also, ultra-processed foods raise our blood sugars higher than foods that are less processed.

"These foods often lack nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fibre - which are all known to help support health and reduce risk of illness," says Patel.

How to cut down on ultra-processed foods

Eating ultra-processed foods every so often is unlikely to cause any significant problems. But eating them every day can increase your risk of health issues, so it’s important to cut down your intake of them. To do this, focus your diet on whole fruits, vegetables and minimally-processed foods like potatoes, wholegrains and breads.

Simpler foods, like a pasta dish with fresh tomatoes or a quick home-made sauce from chopped tomatoes, onion and garlic, are less processed than ready-meals. And if you cook sauces or meals in batches and freeze them, they can be a quick and cheap dinner.

Vegetables that are in season are often cheaper in supermarkets and lentils, beans or other pulses like chickpeas can bulk up a meal easily. Garlic, herbs and spices can make a dish tasty without additives like sweeteners or artificial flavours.

When shopping, check the labels of the foods you’re buying. If there’s a long list of ingredients that you haven’t heard of, it’s probably ultra-processed.

Further reading

1. Gearhardt et al: Global, clinical, and policy implications of ultra-processed food addiction.

2. Knuppel: Meat intake and cancer risk: prospective analyses in UK Biobank.

3. Srour et al: Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: prospective cohort study (NutriNet-Santé).

4. Isaksen et al: Ultra-processed food consumption and cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

5. Elizabeth et al: Ultra-processed foods and health outcomes: A narrative review.

6. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations: Ultra-processed foods, diet quality, and health using the NOVA classification system.