Ultra-processed foods linked to increased risk of precancerous polyps, study finds

Eating more ultra-processed foods is tied to an increased risk of precancerous colorectal growths in women under 50, according to a study published Thursday in JAMA Oncology

Eating more ultra-processed foods is tied to an increased risk of precancerous colorectal growths in women under 50, according to a study published Thursday in JAMA Oncology.

These growths, called adenomas or polyps, can later turn into cancer and are a good indicator of a person’s cancer risk, experts say.

Rates of colorectal cancer in people under 50 have risen sharply in recent decades. The findings could offer new insights into what’s driving this increase.

“One approach we’ve been taking is trying to understand what has changed in our environment that could be driving this. What are some trends that mirror this acceleration in cancer rates?” said study leader Dr. Andrew Chan, a gastroenterologist and the chief of the clinical and translational epidemiology unit at Massachusetts General Brigham in Boston.

Ultra-processed foods now make up the bulk of the average American’s diet, especially among kids. The foods, which tend to be high in calories, have been linked to depression, Type 2 diabetes and early death. Some experts have also suspected eating these foods could be driving the increase in colorectal cancer rates among young people.