Some of the most universally-loved supermarket food could increase the risk of cancer, according to the latest research.
A study from Cancer Research UK and the World Cancer Research Fund has flagged a few cupboard staples which could be a cause for concern.
The researchers looked into some of the most commons ultra processed food (UPFs) for their survey, including breakfast cereals, mass-produced bread, ready meals, ice cream, ham, sweets, supermarket biscuits, buns, cakes, and crisps.
This category of food usually includes ingredients we don’t normally add when making homemade food, including chemicals, colourings, sweeteners and preservatives – all poured into food to extend the shelf-life.
While some food – like milk which is pasteurised – need to be processed to be safely consumed, that’s obviously not the case for everything.
The researchers found that for every 10% increase in UPF in someone’s diet, there was a 2% increased risk of cancer, and 19% increased risk for ovarian cancer.
These stats stayed consistent up even after exercise, BMI and deprivation were factored into the study.
The study, led by a team at Imperial College London, concluded that Brits eat too many UPFs overall.
The research was based on observations where people recorded what they had eaten, and the researchers were careful to add that a direct link between UPFs and cancer cannot be proven.
UPFs have also been connected to heart disease, dementia, obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The study – published in eClinicalMedicine – used UK Biobank data to look at 197,426 people’s diets, aged between 40 and 69 who were tracked over 20 years.
The researchers have pleaded for front-of-pack warning labels and for the price of fresh food to subsidise for lower-income homes.
“Ultra-processed foods are everywhere and highly marketed with cheap price and attractive packaging to promote consumption,” Dr Kiara Chang, who worked on the research, warned.
She added that the average person in the UK relies on UPFs for more than half of their daily energy intake, particularly those with smaller incomes because it is the cheaper option.
She continued: “This shows our food environmental needs urgent reform to protect the population from ultra-processed foods.”
Health experts recommend people to limit their consumption of “fast foods” and other processed foods high in fat, starches or sugars and making whole grains, vegetables, fruit and pulses a large part of your diet.