Ultra-processed foods pose major risk of mouth and throat cancer, scientists warn

Eating lots of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) can lead to mouth and throat cancers, a worrying new study has revealed.

Researchers who analysed the diets and lifestyles of nearly half a million people for more than a decade found that those who ate more UPFs had a higher risk of developing cancers around the mouth, throat and oesophagus, known as the upper aerodigestive tract.

UPFs such as ready meals, biscuits, fizzy drinks and crisps have long been linked with obesity, which comes with its own increased likelihood of developing several cancers.

But scientists at the University of Bristol have now also identified a link between processed food products and cancers of the mouth and throat.

The authors of the study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, say this link could be down to additives in UPFs and contaminants from their packaging.

Popular UPFs include crisps, fried snacks, processed meats, mass-produced bread, fizzy drinks, sweets and chocolate, ice cream, biscuits, cakes, fruit-flavoured yogurts, ready meals, chips and some alcoholic spirits including gin, rum and whisky.

Despite their widely known detrimental health effects, these foods are often far cheaper to buy and quicker and easier to prepare than healthier foods.

Though obesity associated with a high consumption of UPFs is often blamed for the increased risk of cancers, this latest study proves it may not be the only factor to blame.

Researchers from the University of Bristol and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) sought to identify whether links between UPF consumption and head and neck cancers could be explained by an increase in body fat.

The study analysed diet and lifestyle data on 450,111 adults who were followed for approximately 14 years.

Their results showed that eating 10% more UPFs is associated with a 23% higher risk of developing head and neck cancer, and a 24% higher risk of cancer of the oesophagus.

‘UPFs have been associated with excess weight and increased body fat in several observational studies,’ said lead author Fernanda Morales-Bernstein, a Wellcome Trust PhD student at the University of Bristol.

‘This makes sense, as they are generally tasty, convenient and cheap, favouring the consumption of large portions and an excessive number of calories.

‘However, it was interesting that in our study the link between eating UPFs and upper-aerodigestive tract cancer didn’t seem to be greatly explained by body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio.’

The study’s authors suggested other mechanisms could potentially explain the associated higher risks with mouth and throat cancer – such as the presence of additives in UPFs including emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners previously associated with an increased risk of disease development.

The results also mean simply targeting weight loss may not help prevent cancers associated with eating UPFs.

‘Focusing solely on weight loss treatment, such as Semaglutide, is unlikely to greatly contribute to the prevention of upper-aerodigestive tract cancers related to eating UPFs,’ said Ms Morales-Bernstein.

In addition, the researchers suggest that contaminants from the packaging UPFs are kept in, as well as the manufacturing process, could help to explain the link between UPF consumption and mouth and throat cancer.

However, the authors admit to possible biases in their study, which would explain evidence of an association between higher UPF consumption and an increased risk of accidental deaths, which is highly unlikely to be causal.

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