“You are what you eat,” as the saying goes. Remember that the next time you reach for a convenience store packaged snack that’s so full of preservatives, it’ll still be edible if you find it under your driver’s seat a year later. Think twice before microwaving your lunch in a plastic dish. Many of the most highly processed, mass-produced foods you eat contain hard-to-pronounce industrial formulations, and even microplastics that may leach into the food from the packaging. This exposure to the plastic particles found in your favorite frozen dinner or pre-packaged snacks could pose health risks.
Manufacturers and government regulatory agencies assure us that plastics that come in contact with food are safe for human health. But some experts believe that proof of safety and oversight are inadequate. There are scientists who believe regular consumption of these ultra-processed, pre-packaged meals containing “industrially derived ingredients” correlate with rising rates of certain cancers. That’s the case in a recent observational study published in the Lancet‘s eClinicalMedicine, for example, in which researchers monitored the health and diets of about 200,000 middle-age people.
Over the course of the 10-year study, the participants recorded 24-hour food diaries on five separate occasions. Reviewing participants’ health outcomes over the decade, the researchers from London’s Imperial College School of Public Health found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a greater risk of developing cancer and increased risk of dying from cancer. For every 10% increase in ultra-processed food in a person’s diet, the researchers found a 2% increased incidence cancer in general, and a 19% increase specifically for ovarian cancer.
Dr. Eszter Vamos, lead author of the study, acknowledged that the study does not prove causation, but suggested that limiting ultra-processed foods in our diet could lead to health benefits. “This study adds to the growing evidence that ultra-processed foods are likely to negatively impact our health, including our risk for cancer,” she said in a statement.
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