Ultraprocessed Food and Risk of Cancer: Mechanistic Pathways and Public Health Implications

Menegassi, B ORCID: 0000-0002-2942-6932 and Vinciguerra, M ORCID: 0000-0002-1768-3894 (2025) Ultraprocessed Food and Risk of Cancer: Mechanistic Pathways and Public Health Implications. Cancers, 17 (13).

Preview

Text Ultraprocessed Food and Risk of Cancer Mechanistic Pathways and Public Health Implications.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs), now dominant in global diets, pose health risks that go beyond poor nutrition due to the synergistic effects of compounds in their ultracomplex industrial formulations. This narrative review aims to provide researchers and health professionals in the field of cancer with updated and critical information, as they are often unaware of the complex and evolving evidence linking UPFs to carcinogenesis. The review discusses potential mechanisms through which UPFs may contribute to cancer development, including harmful additives, neo-formed contaminants, and packaging-derived substances, as well as the displacement of protective nutrients found in whole foods. Despite limitations in establishing direct causality, epidemiological studies consistently associate high UPF intake with increased incidence of various cancers, notably colorectal, breast, and pancreatic cancers. These findings reflect a broader paradigm shift in nutritional epidemiology, recognizing that food processing is an essential dimension of diet-related health risks. To mitigate the impact of UPFs, the review emphasizes the need for preventive strategies that integrate clear dietary guidelines, regulatory measures on food labeling and additives, and public education campaigns. Successful international experiences in regulating marketing and improving transparency serve as important references. Moreover, eliminating corporate influence and conflicts of interest is crucial to ensure that public health, rather than industry agendas, guides nutrition policy. As scientific research advances to clarify the mechanisms of action and synergistic effects of harmful compounds in UPFs, coordinated efforts are needed to reduce their consumption and ultimately alleviate the global cancer burden.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	cancer risk; food additives; nutritional epidemiology; public health; ultraprocessed foods; 32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences; 3210 Nutrition and Dietetics; Prevention; Nutrition; Digestive Diseases; Cancer; 3.3 Nutrition and chemoprevention; 2.2 Factors relating to the physical environment; 3.1 Primary prevention interventions to modify behaviours or promote wellbeing; Oral and gastrointestinal; Cancer; 2 Zero Hunger; 1112 Oncology and Carcinogenesis; 3211 Oncology and carcinogenesis
Subjects:	T Technology > TX Home economics > TX341 Nutrition. Foods and food supply Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0254 Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology (including Cancer)
Divisions:	Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Publisher:	MDPI
Date of acceptance:	18 June 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	29 August 2025
Date Deposited:	29 Aug 2025 11:30
Last Modified:	29 Aug 2025 11:45
DOI or ID number:	10.3390/cancers17132064
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/27021

View Item