Health and Me

Ishita Roy

After Lancet Links Ultra-Processed Foods to Organ Damage, New Study Ties Them to Bowel Polyps in Women Under 50

Health and Me previously <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/ultra-processed-food-is-harming-your-heart-liver-and-brain-warns-new-lancet-study-article-153178737" data-type="tilCustomLink">reported </a> on the latest <span>Lancet Study</span>, which is world's largest review, as per the Lancet that links consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) with harm in every major organ system in the human body. A new study published in Jama Oncology by Andre T Chan, also cited on The Lancet Oncology now links the consumption of UPF with <span>bowel polyps</span> in women younger than 50 years. The study notes that these women are at a 45% increased risk of developing bowel polyps, which can further develop into <span>colorectal cancer</span>. 

<h2>What Are <span rel="noindex">Ultra Processed Foods</span>?</h2>

UPFs are modern, highly engineered products that are made from cheap industrial ingredients like hydrogenated oils, protein isolates, and glucose or fructose syrups. They are also combined with cosmetic additives like dyes, artificial sweeteners, and emulsifiers. These foods are intentionally formulated to be hyper-palatable, and profitable. This is why UPFs are easily able to replace fresh or minimally processed food and traditionally home cooked meals around the world. 

The new findings come from the Nurses' Health Study II, which is a long-running US Cohort involving female registered nurses. 

This analysis followed participants from 1991 to 2015, examining whether UPF consumption was linked to early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) precursors. Every four years, participants completed detailed food-frequency questionnaires, which researchers used to calculate UPF intake based on the Nova classification system, a widely used framework that categorizes foods by degree and purpose of processing.

According to the questionnaires, the biggest contributors to UPF intake were ultra-processed breads and breakfast items (23%), sauces and condiments (22%), and sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverages (20%).

Researchers assessed two types of EOCRC precursors: conventional adenomas (polyps) and serrated lesions, both of which were verified through medical and pathology records.

Over 24 years, among 29,105 women with an average age of 45, the study recorded 1,189 adenomas and 1,598 serrated lesions. The data revealed that women in the highest UPF consumption group, where UPFs made up 42% of daily calories, had a 45% higher risk of developing conventional adenomas compared to those in the lowest intake group (23% of daily calories). The median UPF intake across the cohort was 35% of total calories.

<h2>How Can UPFs Increase Polyp Risk?</h2>

Chan, speaking to The Lancet Oncology explained that UPFs may impair the gut’s protective barrier or disrupt the intestinal lining, triggering inflammation and reducing the gut’s ability to repair itself, conditions that may encourage tumor development.

The authors offer a possible explanation for why only adenomas, not serrated lesions, were associated with UPFs. They suggest that mechanisms linked to UPFs, such as microbiome disruption, inflammatory signalling, and diet-related genotoxins, may accelerate polyp formation, especially in younger individuals.

What makes these study even more relevant is that the study arrives after The Lancet has released a major three-paper series on UPFs and health, with many calling the need for action to be similar to the historic action against the tobacco industry.

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Health and Me previously reported  on the latest Lancet Study, which is world's largest review, as per the Lancet that links consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) with harm in every major organ system in the human body. A new study published in Jama Oncology by Andre T Chan, also cited on The Lancet Oncology now links the consumption of UPF with bowel polyps in women younger than 50 years. The study notes that these women are at a 45% increased risk of developing bowel polyps, which can further develop into colorectal cancer. What Are Ultra Processed Foods?UPFs are modern, highly engineered products that are made from cheap industrial ingredients like hydrogenated oils, protein isolates, and glucose or fructose syrups. They are also combined with cosmetic additives like dyes, artificial sweeteners, and emulsifiers. These foods are intentionally formulated to be hyper-palatable, and profitable. This is why UPFs are easily able to replace fresh or minimally processed food and traditionally home cooked meals around the world. What Did The Study Find?The new findings come from the Nurses' Health Study II, which is a long-running US Cohort involving female registered nurses. This analysis followed participants from 1991 to 2015, examining whether UPF consumption was linked to early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) precursors. Every four years, participants completed detailed food-frequency questionnaires, which researchers used to calculate UPF intake based on the Nova classification system, a widely used framework that categorizes foods by degree and purpose of processing.According to the questionnaires, the biggest contributors to UPF intake were ultra-processed breads and breakfast items (23%), sauces and condiments (22%), and sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverages (20%).Researchers assessed two types of EOCRC precursors: conventional adenomas (polyps) and serrated lesions, both of which were verified through medical and pathology records.Over 24 years, among 29,105 women with an average age of 45, the study recorded 1,189 adenomas and 1,598 serrated lesions. The data revealed that women in the highest UPF consumption group, where UPFs made up 42% of daily calories, had a 45% higher risk of developing conventional adenomas compared to those in the lowest intake group (23% of daily calories). The median UPF intake across the cohort was 35% of total calories.How Can UPFs Increase Polyp Risk?Chan, speaking to The Lancet Oncology explained that UPFs may impair the gut’s protective barrier or disrupt the intestinal lining, triggering inflammation and reducing the gut’s ability to repair itself, conditions that may encourage tumor development.The authors offer a possible explanation for why only adenomas, not serrated lesions, were associated with UPFs. They suggest that mechanisms linked to UPFs, such as microbiome disruption, inflammatory signalling, and diet-related genotoxins, may accelerate polyp formation, especially in younger individuals.What makes these study even more relevant is that the study arrives after The Lancet has released a major three-paper series on UPFs and health, with many calling the need for action to be similar to the historic action against the tobacco industry.