A large study looked at food and bowel cancer. This cancer affects the last parts of the gut. Researchers studied 461,682 Americans for nearly 19 years. They were 50 to 71 years old at the start. The study looked at ultra-processed foods. Companies make these foods through many steps that change them. People who ate more of these foods did not have higher cancer rates overall.
But different foods showed different links. People who ate more whole grain foods and milk products from this group had lower cancer rates. People who ate more meat from this group had higher rates. Researchers also looked at replacing some highly processed food with food changed less before sale. Replacing 10% by weight showed a link to a 2% lower cancer rate.
The study does not prove that these foods caused or prevented cancer. Most people in it were older and white. The results may be different for other groups. People described their eating habits only at the start. Their diets could change later. The findings suggest looking at what a food contains, not just how much companies change it.
