Ultra-Processed Foods And Risk Of Early Onset Colon Cancer

The Study

There has been a very disturbing trend of increasing colon cancer incidence in patients under the age of 50 in recent years. This study tries to figure out one of the reasons why this is happening. 29,105 young women from Harvard’s Nurses’ Health Study II cohort had their diet and colonoscopy results monitored for a 24-year follow-up.

The results were compelling. When comparing subjects consuming the most ultra-processed foods to those consuming the least, there was a 45% increased risk of early onset colorectal conventional adenomas.

JAMA Oncol. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.4777

Take Home Message

Ultra-processed food are commercially produced food products that are ready to eat and low in bioactive compounds such as fiber, vitamins and polyphenols. They are usually high in unhealthy fats, refined carbs, sodium and food additives.

In this cohort, the most common sources of ultra-processed foods were breads, breakfast foods, sauces, spreads and condiments. 

The authors believed that these foods may disrupt gut microbiota and increase inflammation in the colon, leading to an increased risk of colon cancer.

Do your best to limit ultra-processed foods and eat your food in its whole and natural form.

Is It OK To Drink Whole Milk Again?

The Study

Several fad diets claim that whole milk is a healthier choice than low fat milk. A recent study put this theory to the test. A Norwegian cohort of 73,860 subjects had their milk consumption measured and were followed for 33 years.

The results were compelling:

Whole milk was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of death from ischemic heart disease and all-cause mortality.

When compared to whole milk, low fat milk was associated with a statistically significantly lower risk of cardiovascular mortality, death by ischemic heart disease, death by acute myocardial infarction and all-cause mortality.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2025;122:1075-85.

Take Home Message

Whole milk contains high amounts of saturated fat, which is known to be an unhealthy source of fat. Don’t let authors of fad diets books distract you from decades of high quality research.

Shoot for low fat or fat free dairy products and choose healthy sources of fat such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts, nut butters, seeds and avocados.

Book Review: Diet, Drugs And Dopamine

Next up for review is Diet, Drugs And Dopamine by David Kessler, MD. The author is the former Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and is a graduate of Harvard Medical School.

Introduction

The main focus of this book is the new class of weight loss drugs; the GLP-1 agonists such as Wegovy and Zepbound. It contains chapters on the use of these drugs, side effects, our current food environment and weight maintenance when you get off the medication. The book is 385 pages. It is very well-written and I enjoyed reading it.

3 Things I Really Liked About Diet, Drugs And Dopamine

1) I really like how this book presents the advice of multiple experts and not just the author’s opinions.  Dr. Kessler includes quotes from many of the world’s foremost clinicians and researchers in weight loss medicine. This adds a lot to the book.

2) The author stresses that doctors are not providing the proper nutrition support for patients on the GLP-1 agonists. I couldn’t agree more. Most patients are eating between 500 and 800 calories a day on these medications. This is similar to what an anorexic patient eats in a day. There has been widespread signs of malnutrition in these patients and one expert even reported a case of scurvy in his office. Scurvy, in 2025! 

3) The author also points out that up to 40% of weight lost by these patients is muscle mass. This can cause a host of problems and I like that the author stresses resistance training as an essential part of the program for these patients.

3 Things I Didn’t Agree With In Diet, Drugs And Dopamine

1) I feel like the book was a little longer than it needed to be. If it was a bit more focused on the GLP-1 medicines, it would have been an easier read. Sections on the history of food labels and nutritional biochemistry, for example, were not really necessary in my opinion.

2) The author repeatedly states that lifestyle changes always fail for those trying to lose weight. I strongly disagree here. I have seen clients lose weight and keep it off for well over 20 years. Just because weight loss is not easy or quick does not mean it is not possible.

3) I wish the references were cited numerically in the text instead of just lumped together in the back of the book. I am sure most readers won’t notice or care about this, but as a nutrition researcher, I often will find a reference I want to download and it is much harder to find them this way.

Is Diet, Drugs And Dopamine Worth Reading?

Absolutely! The GLP-1 agonist meds have hit our world like a ton of bricks and a lot is not known about them. This book provided a wealth of information about how these drugs work, known and potential side effects and some strategies about what to do when you go off of them. This is really important, as up to 90% of patients stop taking them after 1 year (according to one of the experts in the book).

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone taking these meds, thinking about taking them or any health care clinician working with these patients.