WASHINGTON (Dispatches) -- Scientists have recently found that men who consumed high rates of ultra-processed foods were at 29% higher risk for developing colorectal cancer than men who consumed much smaller amounts.
Harvard and Tufts University researchers analyzed responses from over 200,000 participants -- 159,907 women and 46,341 men -- across three large prospective studies which assessed dietary intake and were conducted over more than 25 years.
During the study , participants’ intake of ultra-processed foods was then classified into quintiles, ranging in value from the lowest consumption to the highest. Those in the highest quintile were identified as being the most at risk for developing colorectal cancer. Although there was a clear link identified for men, particularly in cases of colorectal cancer in the distal colon, the study did not find an overall increased risk for women who consumed higher amounts of ultra-processed foods.
They found the strongest association between colorectal cancer and ultra-processed foods among men come from the meat, poultry, or fish-based, ready-to-eat products.