To study whether the consumption of ultra-processed foods and drinks is associated with breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers.
Multicentric population-based case-control study (MCC-Spain) conducted in 12 Spanish provinces. Participants were men and women between 20 and 85 years of age with diagnoses of colorectal (n = 1852), breast (n = 1486), or prostate cancer (n = 953), and population-based controls (n = 3543) frequency-matched by age, sex, and region. Dietary intake was collected using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Foods and drinks were categorized according to their degree of processing based on the NOVA classification. Unconditional multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between ultra-processed food and drink consumption and colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer.
In multiple adjusted models, consumption of ultra-processed foods and drinks was associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer (OR for a 10% increase in consumption: 1.11; 95% CI 1.04-1.18). The corresponding odds for breast (OR 1.03; 95% CI 0.96-1.11) and prostate cancer (OR 1.02; 95% CI 0.93-1.12) were indicative of no association.
Results of this large population-based case-control study suggest an association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and drinks and colorectal cancer. Food policy and public health should include a focus on food processing when formulating dietary guidelines.
Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.
About The Expert
Dora Romaguera
Sílvia Fernández-Barrés
Esther Gracia-Lavedán
Eva Vendrell
Mikel Azpiri
Emma Ruiz-Moreno
Vicente Martín
Inés Gómez-Acebo
Mireia Obón
Amaia Molinuevo
Ujué Fresán
Ana Molina-Barceló
Rocío Olmedo-Requena
Adonina Tardón
Juan Alguacil
Marta Solans
Jose M Huerta
José Manuel Ruiz-Dominguez
Nuria Aragonés
Tania Fernández-Villa
Trinidad Dierssen-Sotos
Victor Moreno
Marcela Guevara
Mercedes Vanaclocha-Espi
Macarena Lozano-Lorca
Guillermo Fernández-Tardón
Gemma Castaño-Vinyals
Beatriz Pérez-Gómez
Antonio J Molina
Javier Llorca
Leire Gil
Jesús Castilla
Marina Pollán
Manolis Kogevinas
Pilar Amiano
References
PubMed