[News] Study links ultra-processed food consumption with bowel polyps in women younger than 50 years

New research by Andrew T Chan (Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA) and colleagues published in JAMA Oncology shows that younger women (aged ≤50 years) who eat the highest proportions of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are at a 45% increased risk of developing bowel polyps that can later develop into colorectal cancer. UPFs are novel branded products made from inexpensive industrial ingredients such as hydrogenated oils, protein isolates or glucose or fructose syrup, and cosmetic food additives (including dyes, artificial sweeteners, and emulsifiers).