This fact, and need for more research, is reflected in the commends of co-lead author Mingyang Song: “Further research will need to determine whether there is a true sex difference in the associations, or if null findings in women in this study were merely due to chance or some other uncontrolled confounding factors in women that mitigated the association.
“Cancer takes years or even decades to develop, and from our epidemiological studies, we have shown the potential latency effect—it takes years to see an effect for certain exposure on cancer risk. Because of this lengthy process, it’s important to have long-term exposure to data to better evaluate cancer risk.”
As a result, it is important that long term studies, such as those which this study are based on, continue so that one day a causational study can be carried out which can settle whether or not ultra-processed foods can be considered a direct cause of cancer.
Ideally, however, people would not resort to ready meals as their main source of nutrition and instead eat a balanced diet with fresh fruit and vegetables which can help provide the body with the nutrients it needs?