Ultraprocessed Food Linked to Elevated Risk of CRC

Consuming high levels of ultraprocessed food is significantly associated with colorectal, colon, and noncardia gastric cancer, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Researchers conducted the systematic review and meta-analysis, which spanned 5 prospective cohort studies, because earlier data from retrospective observational studies yielded conflicting results on the relationship between ultraprocessed food and cancer risk.

The included studies compared the risk of gastrointestinal cancers by subsite in participants with the highest and the lowest levels of ultraprocessed food consumption per the NOVA Food Classification system. Among the more than 1.1 million participants, 241,201 were in the highest level and 223,366 were in the lowest level of ultraprocessed food intake. Average participant follow-up ranged from 5.4 to 28 years.

Compared with the lowest level of ultraprocessed food consumption, the highest level was significantly linked with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, colon cancer, and noncardia gastric cancer, according to the study. Hazard ratios with high ultraprocessed food consumption were 1.11 for colorectal cancer, 1.12 for colon cancer, and 1.43 for noncardia gastric cancer.

“However, no association was found between high ultraprocessed food consumption and hepatocellular, esophageal, pancreatic, gastric cardia, and rectal cancer,” wrote corresponding author Gilmara Coelho Meine, MD, MSc, of Feevale University, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil, and study coauthors.

The studies included in the analysis were published between 2018 and 2023.

Reference

Meine GC, Picon RV, Espírito Santo PA, Sander GB. Ultra-processed food consumption and gastrointestinal cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2024;119(6):1056-1065. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002826