Eating more ultraprocessed food overall was not associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer in a large study of older U.S. adults, researchers reported Oct. 15 in PLOS Medicine. The analysis followed 461,682 people for a median of 18.8 years.
The finding does not mean ultraprocessed foods are healthy or that diet does not matter. Meat from both ultraprocessed and less processed sources was still linked to higher colorectal cancer risk, while whole grains and dairy, including some ultraprocessed versions, were linked to lower risk.
