A recent study from Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine indicates that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) may increase the risk of prostate cancer in men by approximately 30%. UPFs, which account for nearly 60% of calories consumed by adults and about 70% by children in the United States, include packaged snacks, soft drinks, processed meats, and cereals. These products are characterized by their use of refined fats, sugars, and additives that enhance flavor and shelf life but often compromise nutritional value.
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The study, published in The American Journal of Medicine, evaluated data from 17,024 U.S. men over the age of 18 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003 to 2023. Researchers analyzed two 24-hour dietary recalls for each participant to determine the percentage of total calories derived from UPFs. Men were grouped based on their UPF intake: less than 20% of calories from UPFs, and more than 44% among others.
Findings revealed that men in the three highest UPF consumption categories exhibited a 29% increased risk of developing prostate cancer compared to those in the lowest group. Notably, men consuming more than 44% of their calories from UPFs had a 30% higher risk, a trend that persisted even after adjusting for factors such as age, race, smoking status, and socioeconomic factors.
Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., the study's senior author, emphasized that these results highlight the health risks associated with UPFs and call for larger-scale studies to further investigate the links between diet and cancer.
The health implications of UPFs have garnered increasing attention, with previous studies associating their consumption with obesity, cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality. The authors of the new study suggest that public health measures need to be generated, similar to tobacco regulations, to reduce UPF intake in the population.
Prostate cancer is a critical health issue, with the American Cancer Society projecting over 333,000 new diagnoses in the U.S. by 2026 and more than 36,000 deaths resulting from the disease. On a global scale, nearly 1.5 million men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022, with approximately 400,000 deaths.
Hennekens advocates for healthcare professionals to aid patients in making healthier dietary choices and reducing UPF consumption, framing it as part of a broader public health goal. Study co-authors include FAU medical students Hunter Scott and John Dunn, and Yanna Willett, a doctoral student from the University of Oxford.