You could say that in her heyday, Ultra Violet, a member of Andy Warhol's Factory known for her purple hair was ultra-processed -- full of added ingredients that were quite unhealthy.

That’s rather like ultra-processed foods.

Those nutritionally stripped edibles come packed with processed grains, added sugars and syrups, unhealthy fats, and toxic, added chemicals. They’re big contributors to the epidemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes in America.

Now, thanks to a database of more than 200,000 people’s eating habits, we know they’re also significantly associated with cancer.

Researchers tracked dietary and health information on participants in the U.K. Biobank, ages 40 to 69, for around a decade. They found that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with an overall increased risk of developing cancer, and that for every 10% increase in ultra-processed food consumption, there was a 19% increase in diagnoses of ovarian cancer. In addition, the risk of dying from breast cancer went up 16%.

One more time let me say how important it is to ditch red and processed meats, foods with added sugars or syrups, processed grains, and unhealthy fats. If a packaged food lists more than five ingredients, think seriously about kicking it out of your shopping cart.

Build your ultra-healthy, plant-based diet around seven to nine (or more) servings of fruits and veggies daily, along with proteins such as salmon, legumes, and 100% whole grains.

For a complete guide to life-extending smart diet moves, check out "The Great Age Reboot."