Ultra-processed foods now provide nearly 60% of the calories consumed by adults in the United States and about 70% of the energy intake of American children. A new study from Florida Atlantic University suggests that this dietary pattern may also be associated with a greater risk of prostate cancer in men. The findings, published in The American Journal of Medicine, add to a rapidly expanding body of research linking industrially formulated foods with chronic disease, while raising new questions about how diet may influence one of the most common cancers affecting men.
Ultra-processed foods, commonly referred to as UPFs, are products manufactured through multiple industrial processes and typically contain ingredients rarely used in home kitchens. Soft drinks, packaged cereals, sweet and savory snacks, processed meats, instant meals and many ready-to-eat products fall into this category. Their formulations often rely on refined oils, sugars, starches, salt, flavor enhancers, emulsifiers, colorants and preservatives. These ingredients can improve taste, texture and shelf life, but the resulting products are frequently energy-dense and relatively low in fiber, vitamins and other naturally occurring nutrients.
Scientists have proposed several biological mechanisms that could explain why high UPF consumption might contribute to cancer development. Diets dominated by these foods can promote weight gain, insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction, all of which may influence tumor biology. High levels of added sugars and refined carbohydrates can produce repeated elevations in blood glucose and insulin, while certain fats and additives may contribute to chronic low-grade inflammation. Processing and packaging may also introduce compounds formed during high-temperature cooking or migration from food-contact materials. At the same time, low fiber intake can alter the gut microbiome, potentially affecting immune regulation, metabolism and inflammatory signaling throughout the body.
Despite these concerns, comparatively little research has examined whether UPF consumption is associated specifically with prostate cancer. Investigators at Florida Atlantic University analyzed dietary and health information from 17,024 U.S. men aged 18 and older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES, between 2003 and 2023. NHANES is designed to represent the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population and combines interviews, physical examinations and laboratory data. For this analysis, researchers used two 24-hour dietary recalls to estimate the percentage of each participant’s daily caloric intake coming from foods classified as ultra-processed under the NOVA system.
The NOVA classification system groups foods according to the extent and purpose of their processing rather than simply their nutrient content. Participants in the study were divided into four categories, ranging from those who obtained less than approximately 20% of their calories from UPFs to those whose intake exceeded 44%. The researchers then compared prostate cancer risk across these groups. Men in the three higher-consumption categories had a 29% greater risk of prostate cancer than men in the lowest-consumption category. When the analysis was restricted to the two highest-intake groups, the estimated increase was 30%.
The association persisted after the investigators adjusted for several potential confounding factors, including age, race and ethnicity, smoking and poverty status. Depending on the comparison, the adjusted increase in risk ranged from 24% to 31%. Men in the highest UPF-intake category alone appeared to have a 34% greater risk, although that result did not reach statistical significance. The lack of statistical significance may have reflected the relatively small number of prostate cancer cases in that subgroup, making the estimate less precise. In epidemiological terms, the findings indicate an association rather than proof that ultra-processed foods directly cause prostate tumors.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among men in the United States and the second-leading cause of cancer death among American men after lung cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 333,000 men will be diagnosed with the disease in the United States in 2026, while more than 36,000 are expected to die from it. Globally, the International Agency for Research on Cancer recorded nearly 1.5 million new prostate cancer diagnoses and approximately 400,000 deaths in 2022. Because the disease is common, even a modest increase in risk associated with a widespread dietary behavior could have important implications for public health.
“Among adult men in this nationally representative U.S. population, those who consumed higher amounts of UPFs had significantly higher risks of the subsequent development of prostate cancer,” said Charles H. Hennekens, senior author of the study and the First Sir Richard Doll Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. Hennekens emphasized that the findings contribute to emerging evidence about the potential harms of UPFs but also called for larger observational studies and randomized clinical trials. Such research could help determine whether the observed relationship results from ultra-processed foods themselves, the overall dietary patterns in which they occur, or other lifestyle and socioeconomic factors.
Previous studies have associated high UPF consumption with obesity, metabolic disease, inflammatory biomarkers, cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, strokes and premature death. However, reducing exposure is not simply a matter of individual discipline. Ultra-processed products are inexpensive, heavily marketed, widely available and often easier to store and prepare than fresh foods. Timothy De Ver Dye, professor and chair of FAU’s Department of Population Health and a co-author, said healthcare providers should recognize that many patients face financial and practical barriers to healthier choices. The researchers argue that improving access to minimally processed foods will require broader policy and community-level interventions, alongside clinical advice and evidence-based cancer prevention strategies.
The study’s authors compare the emerging evidence on UPFs with the gradual recognition of tobacco’s health risks, while acknowledging that the scientific and biological questions are not identical. Their central message is that a food environment built around highly formulated products deserves closer scrutiny as evidence accumulates. For men and their healthcare providers, the findings support reducing reliance on packaged snacks, sugary beverages, processed meats and other heavily industrialized products in favor of diets richer in vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains and minimally processed proteins. The research does not show that avoiding a particular food guarantees protection from prostate cancer, but it strengthens the case that dietary quality may be an important component of a wider strategy for healthier aging.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods and Increased Risks of Prostate Cancer in a Random Sample of United States Adults
News Publication Date: 9-Aug-2026
Web References: Florida Atlantic University: https://www.fau.edu/ ; Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine: https://www.fau.edu/medicine/ ; The American Journal of Medicine: https://www.clinicalkey.com/#!/content/playContent/1-s2.0-S0002934326005954
References: DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2026.07.043; National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES); American Cancer Society; International Agency for Research on Cancer
Image Credits: Alex Dolce, Florida Atlantic University
Keywords: Ultra-processed foods, prostate cancer, nutrition, public health, epidemiology, food additives, inflammation, metabolic disease, cancer prevention, men’s health
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