A French study links industrial flat and the risk of cancer

AFP

AFP

Thursday, 15 February 2018 04:11

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Thursday, 15 February 2018 04:11

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PARIS | A scientific study carried out in France, from 105 000 people, published Thursday, establishes a link between consumption of dishes prepared by the industry and risk of cancer.

The survey, called NutriNet-Health, based on questionnaires completed on the internet between 2009 to 2017 by participants whose median age was approaching 43 years of age.

The researchers are interested in the “food ultratransformés”, which according to them “often contain higher amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salts added, as well as a lower density fiber and vitamins”.

“To our knowledge, this prospective study was the first to assess the association between the consumption of food products ultratransformés and the incidence of cancer, based on the study of a large cohort with a detailed assessment and update of the dietary intakes”, the authors write in the british medical journal BMJ (British Medical Journal).

Their conclusion: “consumption of foods ultratransformés has been associated with a higher overall risk of cancer” (increased from 6% to 18%) and breast cancer (increased from 2% to 22%).

High risk foods include breads, candies, desserts, cereals, sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meats (meatballs, nuggets, ham with additives, etc), pasta and instant soups, frozen entrees or plastic cups, etc

In an editorial, the BMJ has pointed out that this was only a first observation, that “merits a careful exploration and further”.

Other factors may come into play, explained the magazine because “for example, smoking and physical activity low were much more common among participants who consumed a greater proportion of food ultratransformés”.

This term ” rest “not used by the scientists of nutrition,” noted a professor of dietetics, King’s College London, Tom Sanders.

Quoted by the Science Media Centre, he considers that “this classification seems to be arbitrary and founded on the premise that processed foods industrially have a nutritional composition and chemical different from the one produced at home or by artisans. This is not the case”.