Is Your Supermarket Shop โIncreasing Your Bowel โฃCancer Risk?
A growing โฃbody of research is linking ultra-processedโ foodsโ (UPF)โฃ -โข itemsโข laden with additives โฃand manufactured ingredients – to an increased risk of bowel cancer,prompting healthโ expertsโ to urge consumers โto rethink their supermarket habits.โฃ A recent โคstudy has intensified concerns, suggesting a directโฃ correlation between high โขUPF consumption โand the development of this โคincreasingly โคcommon cancer.
While not allโข processed foods are โคcreatedโ equal, experts warn that โคregularlyโ filling your basket with items like ready meals, sugary cereals, mass-produced โคbread, and certain snacks could be detrimental to your health. Dietician Helen Ludlam-Raine notes โthat manyโฃ believe โคthey have to buy fresh produce, but “it’s often much cheaper to buy it frozen.”
What are UPFs and why are they a concern?
UPFs are typically high in sugar, salt,โ and unhealthyโ fats, while being low in fibre and essential nutrients. They undergo multipleโ industrial processes, often containing ingredients not commonly used in home cooking, such as emulsifiers, stabilisers, and artificial flavours. These ingredients, while generally considered safe in small doses, are increasingly being scrutinised for their potential long-term health effects.
Spotting UPFsโฃ in โคYourโ Trolley
The articleโ highlights โขseveral common supermarket itemsโ that fall into the UPF category. while wholemealโ or seeded โขbread is a better โขchoice than white, it still contains additives. Products like Lidlโ spring rolls and poppadoms, though potentially โa slightly healthierโ alternative to โtakeaways, offerโค limited nutritional value and contain additives – the spring rolls includeโฃ the stabiliser hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose,โ and the poppadoms are heavily processed.โข
The cost of Health
Interestingly, expertsโ point out that UPFs frequently enough โcome โwith a higherโข price โtag. Ludlam-Raine adds, “A lot of these products are really expensiveโ andโฆyou can buy non-UPF crisps or chocolateโ for the same price.”
Professor Tim Spector’s Approach
Professor Tim spector, co-founder of personalised nutrition company ZOE, prioritises a simple,โฃ varied diet focused โขon whole foods. Heโ typically sources โfresh โฃproduce from veg โคbox deliveries or farmers’ markets, and purchases meat and fish โfrom butchers and fishmongers prioritizingโ quality andโ freshness. His kitchen โis stocked with beans,โข lentils, chickpeas, whole grains, and fermentedโ foods, emphasizingโข their affordability, โขease of use, and โคrich fibre, nutrient, and plant protein content.
Spector actively โavoidsโ ultra-processed foods like jarred sauces andโ packaged snacks,โข with theโค exceptionโ of โan occasional โคUPF cheese cracker. He favours sourdough โorโฃ rye bread, โoften bakingโ his own, and utilises leftover vegetables in soups and โstews. He also enjoys โฃcheese, particularly tangy blue cheese rich in live microbes, alongside wholegrain crackers, dark chocolate (80% or โคabove), โฃand roasted nutsโค for minimally โprocessedโ snacks.
