Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

High Ultra-Processed Food Intake Linked to Lung Cancer Risk

12/28/2025

39 7

Summary

Story summary

A study of 155,000 participants finds that those with the highest ultra-processed food intake have a 41% higher risk of lung cancer over 12 years.
Ultra-processed foods include ready meals and soft drinks and account for more than half of the average diet in the UK and US.
The study is observational and cannot establish causation; experts advocate cooking from scratch and incorporating whole foods to reduce risk.

1 of 1

Story summary

A study of 155,000 participants finds that those with the highest ultra-processed food intake have a 41% higher risk of lung cancer over 12 years.
Ultra-processed foods include ready meals and soft drinks and account for more than half of the average diet in the UK and US.
The study is observational and cannot establish causation; experts advocate cooking from scratch and incorporating whole foods to reduce risk.