Polyps can be removed if detected early. However, if left untreated, they can grow and turn into cancer.<\/p>\n
The study notes that ultra-processed foods make up 70% of the U.S. food supply. These are foods that have one or more ingredients that wouldn\u2019t be found in a kitchen, like artificial colors and flavors, chemical-based preservatives for shelf stability, emulsifiers like hydrogenated oils, and sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup.<\/p>\n
Examples of ultra-processed foods include sodas, prepackaged snacks like chips, cookies, and crackers, candy, frozen and ready-to-eat meals, lunch meats, jerky and hotdogs.<\/p>\n
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Ultra-processed foods<\/p>\n
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now<\/a>!<\/p>\n Dr. Andrew Chan, gastroenterologist at Mass General Brigham in Boston and senior study author, explained that ultra-processed foods can disrupt the balance of \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cbad\u201d microbes in the gut and cause damage to the protective lining of the intestines. This can lead to the growth of abnormal cells.<\/p>\n The increased risk seems to be fairly linear, meaning that the more ultra-processed foods you eat, the more potential that it could lead to colon polyps,\u201d he said in a release<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dr. Marian Neuhouser, a nutritional epidemiologist at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle who was not involved in the study, told The New York Times<\/a> that not all ultra-processed foods are bad for you. She said some foods like yogurts, whole-grain breads and breakfast cereals can provide certain nutrients to lower the risk of colon cancer.<\/p>\n \u201cWe think of those as protective foods,\u201d Neuhouser said.<\/p>\n Getty Images<\/p>\n Ultra-processed foods<\/p>\n![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/bbda8c2972a58304d177d1e70d374fc9.jpeg\"\/)
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