Not overall. A study of 461,682 older Americans, published October 15, 2026, in PLOS Medicine, found no link between total ultra-processed food intake and colorectal cancer, although the type of food mattered.
Researchers led by Erikka Loftfield of the National Cancer Institute used data from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Participants were 50 to 71 years old when they enrolled in 1995 and 1996, and they were followed for a median of 18.8 years. Whole grains, fiber, dairy, and calcium from ultra-processed sources were associated with lower colorectal cancer incidence, while ultra-processed meat was associated with higher incidence. Replacing 10% of ultra-processed food by weight with minimally processed food was linked to a 2% lower incidence.
The study was observational, diet was reported only once at the start, and most participants were older white adults, so it cannot prove cause and effect. The results line up with existing advice to eat whole grains, fiber, and dairy while limiting processed meat.
Source: ScienceDaily, PLOS Medicine study of ultra-processed foods and colorectal cancer (October 2026)
Image: Grocery bag of junk foods, Bill Branson (National Cancer Institute), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.