Cancer Risks Linked to Ultra-processed Foods

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine analyzed nationally representative data from 17,024 U.S. men ages 18 and older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2003 through 2023. Using two 24-hour dietary recalls and the NOVA classification system, they estimated the proportion of calories participants consumed from ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and compared those levels with participants’ subsequent self-reported prostate cancer.

The study, published in The American Journal of Medicine, showed that men with higher consumption of UPFs had significantly greater risks of prostate cancer. Men with higher levels of UPF intake had 24% to 34% greater risks, compared with those with lower intakes. These analyses were adjusted for age, race and ethnicity, smoking as well as poverty status.

“Reducing consumption of UPFs is a complex public health challenge, particularly given how prevalent and accessible these products are,” said co-author Timothy De Ver Dye, Ph.D., professor and chair of FAU’s Department of Population Health. “Healthcare providers should recognize that many patients face barriers to accessing and affording healthier food options. Addressing these challenges will require efforts that extend beyond individual choices to support greater access to nutritious, minimally processed foods.”

Read the press release.