On Tuesday, 7 February 2023 at 23:45:10 UTC+5:30, bogglidite wrote:
> In order to prolong their shelf life, highly processed food often contains
> additives such as flavor enhancers, sweeteners, and industrial chemicals
>
> People who eat more highly processed foods such as fast food and salty
> snacks could face an increased risk of cancer, especially ovarian cancer
> and breast cancer, researchers have found.
>
> A study of more than 197,000 U.K. adults ages 40 to 69 was published this
> month by the Lancet, a peer-reviewed medical journal. The authors said
> this is one of the biggest sample sizes ever used to research the effects
> on health of ultraprocessed foods.
>
> Ultraprocessed foods are items such as soda, sausages, salty snacks and
> microwavable meals that are produced in a highly industrialized
> environment. Those foods contain high amounts of sugar, fat and sodium and
> are low in essential nutrients such as fiber and vitamins.
>
> But the lack of nutrients is not the only issue: In order to prolong their
> shelf life, highly processed food often contains additives such as flavor
> enhancers and sweeteners as well as industrial chemicals, some of which
> are introduced during the production process and some that leach into the
> food from packaging.
>
> Some of those additives, known as endocrine disruptors, affect the human
> body’s endocrine or hormonal system, which can lead to obesity and to a
> higher risk of hormone-sensitive cancers, such as breast and ovarian
> cancers, said Jeanine Genkinger, associate professor of epidemiology at
> the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York.
> Genkinger was not involved in the study.
>
> Chemicals in food
> Phthalates, chemicals that are found in some types of food packaging and
> some fast-food products, are also a type of endocrine disruptor. “The
> chemicals get into food mainly through packaging and food handling
> equipment, like cellophane, paper and paperboard, and plastic in contact
> with food,” according to the Environmental Defense Fund, a nonprofit
> environmental advocacy organization. “While used in many consumer
> products, prescription drugs and medical devices, food is a major source
> of exposure to phthalates.”
>
> Between 2009 and 2012, the participants self-reported their food intake
> using a “web-based 24-hour recall” conducted five times between 2009 and
> 2012, and the researchers monitored their health through January 2021. The
> researchers calculated participants’ consumption of ultraprocessed food as
> a percentage of their total food intake.
>
> Over the years, the authors observed that every 10-percentage-point
> increase in consumption of ultraprocessed foods was associated with an
> increased risk of cancer overall, as well as with higher mortality rates
> from ovarian cancer and breast cancer.
>
> But not everyone has the same cancer risks, Genkinger said. Lower-income
> people and people who don’t have access to fresh food are often the most
> vulnerable.
>
> Studies show that lower-income households purchase fewer healthy foods
> than higher-income households do and also buy more sugary drinks and
> snacks and fewer vegetables and fiber-rich foods.
>
> Food deserts
> One reason: In the U.S., one in five Black households is located in a
> “food desert” — an area where it’s difficult to buy affordable or good-
> quality fresh food — according to a report published by the consulting
> firm McKinsey & Co.in 2021.
>
> Last year, President Joe Biden spoke about the need to eliminate food
> deserts, defined as areas — predominantly low- and moderate-income
> communities — where people have to travel miles to purchase fresh produce
> and other healthy foods. The White House pledged grant and loan funding to
> encourage grocery stores to open in these areas.
>
> As food prices have been rising — in some cases at a record pace — it has
> become even more difficult for lower-income households to purchase foods
> high in nutritional quality, Simone A. French, professor of epidemiology
> and community Health at the School of Public Health of the University of
> Minnesota, said in an email to MarketWatch.
>
> And because the higher consumption of processed foods can lead to long-
> term health issues, Genkinger said, “individuals who are more vulnerable
> or disadvantaged are going to be more vulnerable.” But, she noted,
> “ultraprocessed foods [are] cheaper and easier to prepare.”
>
> The Lancet study adds to a growing body of research focused on the effects
> of eating processed foods on health. One 2022 study concluded that higher
> consumption of ultraprocessed foods could lead to cognitive decline.
>
> The average consumption of ultraprocessed foods among the study’s
> participants was close to 23% of total food intake. During the follow-up
> period, 15,921 individuals developed cancer and 4,009 cancer-related
> deaths occurred.
>
> According to a separate analysis of 99 peer-reviewed studies covering more
> than 1.3 million people, reported in 2021, ultraprocessed foods made up
> more than 50% of people’s diets, on average, in both the U.S. and the
> U.K., far higher than the 23% reported by the U.K. participants in the
> Lancet survey.
>
> <https://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-perils-of-ultraprocessed-food-
> 11675477040?siteid=yhoof2>

Eat nuts, fruits, veges, herbs, grains, pure water and remain healthy and happy for long.
Teas and juices are enough.
Eat less, pay less bills.