Eating inflammatory foods may raise cancer risk

Some foods can increase inflammation in the body. A new study shows that eating these foods often may increase your chance of getting cancer and dying from it.

Researchers looked at data from over 2.6 million people. They studied their diets and cancer outcomes. The diet was ranked using something called the EDIP score. This shows how inflammatory a person’s eating habits are. The higher the EDIP score, the more inflammation the food might cause.

The results showed that people who ate more inflammatory foods had a higher risk of cancer overall, especially colorectal (bowel), liver, and total cancer risk. They were also more likely to die from cancer. This was not true for all cancers, like ovarian or endometrial cancer.

If you eat a lot of fried foods, processed meats, sugary drinks, or foods with lots of additives, your EDIP score might be higher. These foods could make your body more inflamed, which may increase the chance of cancer.

Choosing less processed foods, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains might help lower your risk.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1462931