Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) make up a large portion of the Canadian diet and are often high in fat, salt, and sugar, with added ingredients to enhance taste and shelf life. Growing evidence links higher UPF consumption to increased colorectal cancer risk, but the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear.
The UPFront study aims to understand how UPFs may contribute to colorectal cancer development, from population-level risk factors to biological mechanisms. It will examine whether potential harmful effects of UPFs are driven by food additives, nutrient composition, or both. To answer these questions, researchers will use dietary data collected in the HEAL study, as well as blood and stool collected in the CHARM study and in a controlled feeding trial of UPFs. These data will be used to investigate how UPFs influence gut bacteria, metabolism, and cancer-related processes.
By identifying the mechanisms linking UPFs to colorectal cancer, UPFront will help inform future dietary guidance, public health policies, and cancer prevention strategies.
For more information about the UPFront study, please view the press release or contact the research team.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Rachel Murphy
Co-investigators: Dr. Kathy McCoy, Dr. Sharon Kirkpatrick, Dr. Benoît Lamarche, Dr. Genelle Lunken, Dr. Amee Manges, Dr. Jennifer Vena, Dr. Frédérick Raymond and Dr. Benoît Chassing
Funding Source: Canadian Cancer Society Grant and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Cancer Research’s Bringing Biology to Cancer Prevention Team Grant