Do Ultra-Processed Foods Increase Lung Cancer Risk?
In this article
A Surprising Link Between Lung Cancer and Diet
Daily staples now include packaged snacks, ready meals, sugary drinks and processed meats...
Convenient, tasty and apparently harmless—how safe are these products?
On 29 July 2025, Thorax published a new large-scale studysuggesting these foods may significantly increase lung cancer risk .
This large, long-term study followed 101,732 adults' dietary habits and lung cancer development for an average of 12 years .
The Results Were Striking: The highest ultra-processed food consumers had a 41% higher lung cancer risk.
📈 Study Scope: Who Ate What, and How Much?
- 👥 Participants: 101,732
- ⏳ Follow-Up: Average 12.2 years
- 🫁 Total Lung Cancer Cases: 1,706
- 🔹 NSCLC (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer): 1,473 (86.3%)
- 🔹 SCLC (Small Cell Lung Cancer): 233 (13.7%)
- 🥣 Average Daily Ultra-Processed Food Intake: 2.8 servings (wide range: 0.5–6)
The most commonly consumed products included salami, diet soft drinks and white bread .
🧪 What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?
Under NOVA classification, these are industrially processed products whose original nutritional structure has been substantially altered.
Typically, they contain additives, sweeteners, preservatives and synthetic ingredients , with extended shelf lives and intensive marketing.
- 🍦 Ice cream, cream cheese, margarine
- 🍪 Packaged cakes, cookies, chips, breakfast cereals
- 🍜 Instant noodles, soups and sauces
- 🍔 Fast food: hamburgers, pizza, hot dogs
- 🥤 Sugary or artificially sweetened beverages
🚬 Higher Risk in Nonsmokers Too
Although smoking is the leading lung cancer cause, the study suggests ultra-processed food could be an independent risk factor .
Particularly among nonsmokers, the association with this dietary pattern becomes more pronounced.
This emphasizes lifestyle factors' role, especially diet , in cancer burden unrelated to smoking.
📊 Risk Increases in Numbers
Participants were divided into four groups according to energy-adjusted daily ultra-processed food (UPF) intake.
Compared with the lowest intake group, the highest had:
- 📈 41% higher lung cancer risk (HR=1.41; 95% CI: 1.22–1.60)
- 📌 37% higher NSCLC risk (HR=1.37; 95% CI: 1.20–1.58)
- 📌 44% higher SCLC risk (HR=1.44; 95% CI: 1.03–2.10)
Estimates accounted for age, sex, race, diabetes, hypertension, alcohol, body mass index, physical activity and diet quality (HEI-2015) , among other variables.
🧬 Possible Mechanisms: Where Might Harm Arise?
Potential mechanisms linking ultra-processed foods to lung cancer include:
- 🧂 Poor Nutritional Profile: Low fiber and micronutrients; high calories and added sugars
- 🔥 Inflammation and Glucose Fluctuations: May promote insulin resistance and chronic inflammation
- ⚗️ Additives: Glutamate and carrageenan may adversely affect immunity and cellular metabolism
- 🧪 Contaminants: Toxins such as acrolein may damage mitochondrial DNA and trigger cellular stress
- 📦 Packaging: Chemicals such as PCBs may promote tumor growth through estrogen receptors
🔬 Scientific Strengths and Limitations
Strengths:
- ✅ Large sample (over 100,000 participants)
- 📆 More than 12 yearsof follow-up
- 🧾 Clear cancer diagnoses confirmed by pathology
- 🥗 Detailed participant dietary histories
- 📊 Extensive statistical adjustments
Limitations:
- ❗ Causation cannot be established (observational study)
- 🕒 Dietary questionnaire at one time point only
- 🚬 Smoking intensity and other factors may have been inadequately adjusted for
🎯 Public Health Message: What Should Be Done?
The study suggests our dietary habits may affect obesity and heart disease as well as deadly conditions such as lung cancer .
Although findings require confirmation in other populations, they provide an important warning for public health policy :
Reducing ultra-processed food may be crucial not only for healthy weight but also for lowering cancer risk.
Sources
Was this article helpful?
Your feedback helps us improve our content.
Reader comments
Share your comment
Your name and comment are published only after administrator approval. Your email address is never shown to visitors.
Be the first to comment.