Ultra-processed food, obesity, and colon cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Recently, there has been a significant increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods worldwide. However, the association between the consumption of ultra-processed food, obesity, and the prevalence of colon cancer remains controversial.

To find out the association between the consumption of ultra-processed food, obesity, and the prevalence of colon cancer.

A comprehensive systematic literature search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for grey literature was done for articles published before 8^th March 2023. The search was done to retrieve potential peer-reviewed articles that explored the association between the consumption of ultra-processed food, obesity, and the prevalence of colon cancer.

Of the 246 potential articles assessed, 17 met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis results demonstrated that high consumption of ultra-processed food is associated with an increased risk of obesity [odds ratio (OR): 1.65; 95%CI: 1.07-2.45; P < 0.05]. Consequently, there is a positive association between obesity and an increased risk of colon cancer (OR 1.48; 95%CI: 0.77-2.87; P > 0.05).

Consuming ultra-processed foods increases the risk of obesity and colon cancer.