THE study results (source 1) of Epic prospective cohort, which followed more than 450,000 people in ten European countries over a period of 25 years, confirmed the association previously observed in the NutriNet-Santé study in France. Scientists have shown that the substitution of industrial foods by an equivalent quantity of minimally processed products should be integrated into public health policiesbut it remains to be determined how best to achieve this food transition. The study also found that consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with an increased risk of ENT, digestive and breast cancers at menopause, while the substitution of 10% of these foods by minimally processed foods and rreduced the risk ENT cancers, colon and hepatocellular carcinoma. The cohort recruited participants between March 1991 and July 2001, free from cancer at baseline, for follow-up up to December 2009 and December 2013 according to national cancer registries. Cancer data were cross-referenced with dietary questionnaires completed by patients or provided in a face-to-face interview by a professional (source 2).
The Nova classification was used to assess the degree of food processing, ranging from 1 to 4, and group 4 corresponded to ultra-processed foods containing additives and presented in plastic. The researchers pointed out that this study could underestimate the phenomenonbecause the presence of ultra-processed products on the market has increased considerably since the Nova classification data was collected more than 20 years ago.
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