Turn on cookies to sign in
Signing in saves your progress to your Curie account. We can only do that with cookies on — turn them on to continue.
A large study of 460,000+ US adults found no link between overall ultraprocessed food (UPF) intake and colorectal cancer risk. What still matters is diet quality — processed meats raise risk, while whole grains, fiber, dairy, and calcium offer protection, even when sourced from ultraprocessed products. Experts say the "ultraprocessed" label may not be the most useful guide for dietary advice.
A major new study published in PLOS Medicine challenges the idea that ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) as a category drive colorectal cancer risk. Analyzing data from over 460,000 US adults tracked for nearly two decades, researchers at the National Cancer Institute found that people in the top 20% of UPF consumption had essentially the same colorectal cancer risk as those in the bottom 20% — suggesting the blanket "ultraprocessed = bad" narrative may be oversimplified.
What does matter, the study confirms, is the nutritional quality of what you eat. Processed meats were tied to higher cancer incidence, while whole grains, fiber, dairy, and calcium were protective — even when those nutrients came from ultraprocessed sources like breakfast cereals or whole-grain bread. Experts say this supports existing dietary guidance rather than overhauling it around the NOVA classification system.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: The findings challenge the utility of the NOVA classification for clinical dietary advice. Clinicians should steer patients toward nutrient-rich foods — regardless of processing level — and be mindful that fear-based messaging around "ultraprocessed" foods could cause unnecessary stress or worsen disordered eating in vulnerable individuals.
