Junk food is consumed in large quantities not only in India but all over the world. Due to the change in people’s routine and due to lack of time, most of the youth have started to depend on junk food. Which contains a large amount of processed and ultra-processed food. But you may not know that this junk food, which is delicious and easily available, poses a serious threat to your health. A recently discovered study has shown that eating more processed and ultra-processed foods can increase the risk of cancer.

What are processed and ultra-processed foods?

According to Harvard Medical School, processing anything destroys the natural state of any food. Processed food is produced by adding salt, oil, sugar or other substances. Examples of this include canned fish or canned vegetables, fruit syrup and fresh bread.

Some foods are ultra-processed. Many added ingredients are added to it, such as sugar, salt, fat and artificial colors or preservatives. Ultra-processed foods are made from substances extracted from many foods, such as fats, starches, added sugars and hydrogenated fats. They may also contain substances such as artificial colors, flavors or stabilizers. For example, frozen foods, soft drinks, hot dogs and fast food, packaged cookies, cakes and salty snacks.

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what the research says

A study led by Imperial College London has shown that high consumption of ultra-processed foods can lead to an increase in cancer.

The study showed that a high intake of ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased risk of ovarian and brain cancer in particular. This increases the risk of breast cancer along with ovarian cancer.

May increase the risk of cancer

A study found that 10 percent more ultra-processed foods in a person’s diet increased the risk of cancer by 2 percent. The risk of ovarian cancer increased by 19 percent. A 10 percent increase in ultra-processed food consumption increases the cancer death rate by 6 percent.

Dr Kiara Chang, first author of the study from Imperial College London School of Public Health, said: “The average person in the UK consumes more than half of their daily energy intake from ultra-processed foods. This is largely because ultra-processed foods often use a range of chemicals to improve colour, taste, consistency or shelf life.”

dr. Eszter Vamos, lead author of the study from the School of Public Health at the same college, says: “The study clearly shows that ultra-processed foods increase the risk of cancer. It can also negatively affect our health.

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What are the findings of the research

Previous research by the team reported that consumption levels of ultra-processed foods in the UK were among the highest in Europe for both adults and children. The team also found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with an increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes in UK adults, and that UK children were at greater risk of being overweight from childhood to adulthood.

The World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have previously recommended limiting ultra-processed foods for a healthy and sustainable diet.

What can be the solution?

Dr Chang said: “We have to market ultra-processed foods with warning labels on the packaging. He went on to say that low-income families are more affected by these cheap and unhealthy ultra-processed foods. Minimally processed and freshly prepared food should be subsidized. To ensure that healthy, nutritious and affordable options are available to all.

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