People who smoke and eat more ultra-processed foods have a higher risk of developing precancerous growths in the colon compared to smokers who eat less of these foods, and this risk increases with higher consumption levels.

People who smoke and consume a lot of ultra-processed foods like dairy-based snacks and processed snacks have a higher likelihood of developing precancerous growths in the colon, even when accounting for overall calorie intake or general diet quality.

Smokers who consume a large amount of ultra-processed foods (more than 44.8% of their daily calories) have higher odds of developing precancerous growths in the colon and rectum compared to smokers who consume less.

Eating a lot of ultra-processed foods, like packaged snacks and ready-to-eat meals, might raise your chances of getting colorectal cancer by about 30%.

Studies have found that people who eat a lot of packaged and processed foods are more likely to get certain types of cancer, but we can't say for sure if the foods directly cause the cancer because of how the studies were done.