Leading Physician Warns: Popular "Health" Food Consumed Just Once a Week Could Increase Cancer Risk

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It's promoted as a health food and consumed by millions worldwide.

However, a leading physician is cautioning that even plain yogurt, devoid of additives and flavors, might undergo processing involving chemicals and artificial components, potentially resulting in various health issues such as those affecting the colon. cancer .

Dr. William Li, whose book titled "Eat toBeat Your Diet" is New York Times bestseller, says that the worst offending yogurts are actually the low-fat varieties, as they are often riddled with chemicals to replicate the thicker and fattier texture.

The health expert explains: 'How do you go from processed whole yogurt to ultra processed? You remove the fat.

'A lot of people don't know this because what happens when you remove the fat from yogurt, the whole thing collapses... it doesn't have a mouth feel.

'So you know what the manufacturers do? They put additives [and] emulsifiers [in the yogurt] to build back that thick mouth feel of rich yogurt.'

Dr Li says one of the worst offending thickening agents is carrageenan, which is also used in other processed dairy products including creamers, chocolate milk, ice cream, cottage cheese, and sour cream.

While it originates naturally from seaweed, the version used in food manufacturing is heavily processed, making it essentially a synthetic ingredient.

Dr. Li discloses that recent evidence indicates that synthetic carrageenan may lead to intestinal inflammation, posing a considerable risk for the development of colon cancer.

The dietitian also cautions against another thickener called polysorbate 80.

A research conducted by scientists at the Université de Paris in 2021 discovered that when mice were given emulsifiers such as polysorbate 80, they experienced heightened levels of gut inflammation with regular consumption.

Long-term inflammation may elevate the chance of developing cancer due to damage inflicted upon DNA.

This might increase the body's vulnerability to developing colorectal cancers.

In 2021, another study discovered that adding emulsifiers to a bacterial community resembling those present in the human digestive system led to the death or deterioration of certain bacteria within the colony.

Research has suggested the bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract play an important role in fighting back against cancer - and that disrupting it could make colorectal cancers more likely.

In 2024 University of Miami Gastroenterologist Dr Maria Abreu, who studies the affect of food additives and their link to colon cancer, likewise said that the affect of emulsifiers on the microbiome could be contributing to the number of young people getting cancer.

Separate 2022 research from the French Nutrition and Cancer Research Network studied more than 102,000 adults and estimated their exposure to different food additives over a day by asking them about their diet habits.

They then tracked them over ten years, and found that those who were estimated to consume higher amounts of certain emulsifiers were more likely to develop breast cancer.

Given these discoveries, Dr. Li emphasizes the significance of examining the components prior to buying an item.

He highlights that full-fat dairy goods are usually free of thickening agents and better for your health that low-fat alternatives.

He also says plain dairy goods are traditionally better than flavored products, as they tend to contain chemicals and more sugar.

'Whole Greek yogurt is processed [but] the moment you add that layer of blueberry jam or whatever... ultra-sweetened stuff, added sugar stuff, now it's ultra-processed.'

While Dr Li warns of yogurt's hidden dangers, other experts praise it as a superfood and say that it can actually safeguard against cancer.

earlier this year, researchers from Harvard University discovered that individuals consuming at least two portions of yogurt weekly might reduce their chance of developing colon cancer linked to bacteria by 20 percent.

The researchers looked at colon cancer tumors caused by Bifidobacterium, a type of bacteria that normally helps digest fiber and ward off infections.

However, excess levels can lead to inflammation in the colon, which damages cells and causes them to grow out of control, resulting in cancer.

Researchers think that beneficial microbes, such as Bifidobacterium, present in fermented foods like yogurt may decrease the levels of detrimental bacteria residing in the digestive tract, thereby lowering the chance of developing colon cancer associated with these pathogens.

Nevertheless, they discovered no connection between yogurt consumption and a lowered risk of colon cancer attributed to other elements like genetics, obesity, and chemical exposure.

However, Dr. Li's emphasis is more on yogurts that undergo extensive processing rather than those made without chemicals.

Approximately 70 percent of the caloric intake for children and teenagers in the United States is believed to originate from ultra-processed food products.

This is comparable to approximately 30 percent from three decades back.

A CDC study states that ultra-processed foods are 'formulations of macronutrients (starches, sugars, fats, and protein isolates) with little, if any, whole food and often with added flavors, colors, emulsifiers, and other cosmetic additives'.

Examples of highly processed foods mentioned consist of soft drinks, prepackaged savory snacks, biscuits and pastries, deli meats, chicken nuggets, and instant powders and packages soups.

However, these choices might also incorporate various healthier alternatives like whole grain breakfast cereals, whole wheat bread, canned beans, and tofu, which tend to be softer and easier to chew than unadulterated ingredients.

Ultra-processed foods are typically energy-dense products, high in calories, added sugar, unhealthy fats, and salt, and low in dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

In high-income nations, the rate of consumption tends to be higher due to greater accessibility of these goods; however, this trend is also rising in low- and middle-income countries.

Research has shown that high intake of ultra-processed foods is associated with a range of health problems including obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

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