If you worry about ever getting cancer, you might want to pass on the processed foods at your supermarket!
“Processed food” includes food that has been cooked, canned, frozen, packaged or changed in nutritional composition with fortifying, preserving or preparing in different ways. Any time we cook, bake or prepare food, we’re processing food.
Consider watching this video to know more about what is cancer…
A 2019 study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) suggested a possible link between “ultra-processed” foods and cancer. The study defined ultra-processed foods as those lacking vitamins and fiber, which also contain high levels of sugar, fat, and salt. They often represent as much as half of the daily energy intake in several developed countries. These types of food are often linked to obesity, as well.
The list includes packaged bakery products, snacks, sugary cereals, fizzy drinks, deli meats and reconstituted meat products. Eating these types of foods, also known as a “Western type” diet, contribute to weight gain, overweight, obesity, and 12 specific cancers – with a noted correlation between red or processed meat and colorectal cancer.
The 2018 World Cancer Research Fund recommendations include limiting consumption of “fast foods” and other processed foods high in fat, starches, and sugars as strategies for cancer prevention.
All the information available can be confusing and even conflicting at times. For instance, certain high-fat foods containing oils of plant origin – such as nuts and seeds – are relevant sources of nutrients. When eaten in moderation, these have not been shown to cause weight gain and are essential staples of a plant-based diet.
While there is no “one size fits all” approach to achieving a healthful diet and lifestyle, the key is to find balance, aim for moderation, and opt to set realistic and achievable goals. It’s what you are doing daily that counts, especially as it relates to cancer prevention.
Every 10 percent dietary increase in packaged snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals, and other highly processed foods boosts the risk for cancer by 12 percent, new research suggests. Breast cancer, in particular, was associated with higher consumption of mass-produced, ultra-processed foods, according to the study.
While these foods may taste great, they’re often loaded with sugar, salt, and fat. They also lack vitamins, fiber, and other nutritional value. But nutritional value might not explain the observed heightened cancer risk, the French researchers said.
“Our results suggest that the lower overall nutritional quality of ultra-processed foods is not the only factor involved in this relationship,” said lead author Dr. Bernard Srour, of the University of Paris.
In several developed countries, ultra-processed foods may make up as much as 50 percent of the daily diet, the researchers noted. It includes convenience foods, such as mass-produced baked loaves of bread and buns, snacks and cookies — plus those staples of modern-day childhood, chicken nuggets, and fish sticks, Srour said.
Also on the list are instant soups, frozen or ready-to-eat meals, commercially made desserts, and products processed with preservatives other than salt — for example, nitrites. Many of these items also contain hydrogenated oils, modified starches, colorants, emulsifiers, texturizers, sweeteners, and other additives.
So, next time while filling your plate, make sure you choose healthy options!
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!