Research published in March 2024 linked eating larger amounts of ultra-processed foods to a greater risk of 32 adverse health outcomes, including cancer, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes.
Now, a new study by researchers at University
College London in the United Kingdom, in collaboration with other experts,
provides additional evidence that people who eat more ultra-processed foods are
at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In addition, the study also observed that this risk
may be lowered by replacing ultra-processed foods with less processed foods in
a person’s diet.
The findings were recently published in the
journal The Lancet Regional Health – Europe.
“Ultra-processed foods are typically made from
combining many ingredients that have undergone lots of industrial processing,”
Samuel Dicken, clinical scientist and doctoral researcher at the Centre for
Obesity Research in the Division of Medicine at University College London, explained.
“They often use ingredients that you wouldn’t
cook with at home, such as additives and novel types of fats, carbs, and
protein,” he noted.
The problem, he continued, is that:
“Ultra-processed foods are everywhere, they’re
highly accessible, cheap, convenient, and heavily marketed. Examples include
sugary drinks, ready meals, savory snacks (such as crisps), breakfast cereals,
and plant-based alternatives. They can often be identified by a long list of
ingredients on the package, with lots of colorful branding, and some of them
with nutrition/health claims such as low in fat or high in fiber.”
At the study’s conclusion, Dicken and his team found that every 10% increase of ultra-processed foods in a person’s diet was associated with a 17% higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, they found that replacing
ultra-processed food with less processed foods was associated with a lower rate
of type 2 diabetes in the study population.
They found that substituting 10% of
ultra-processed foods in a person’s diet with 10% of minimally processed foods
or processed culinary ingredients reduced type 2 diabetes risk by 6%, and
substituting 10% of ultra-processed foods in the diet with 10% of processed
foods reduced diabetes risk by 8%.
“The key conclusion from this, is that generally
consuming a less processed diet is a good idea for reducing our risk of type 2
diabetes,” Dicken continued. “Generally consuming a less processed diet,
particularly avoiding sugary drinks, and savory snacks is also a good idea for
reducing our risk of type 2 diabetes.”
“The results are consistent with existing
research that highlights the significant impact of ultra-processed foods on
metabolic, cardiac, and neurological health,” Noa Tal, a board
certified-endocrinologist, of the Pituitary Disorders Center at Pacific
Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA, explained. “It’s encouraging to see
that the risk associated with ultra-processed foods can be reduced by
substituting them with less-processed foods.”
“It’s possible that certain ultra-processed
foods affect the microbiome differently or interact with the gut-brain barrier
in unique ways, potentially leading to increased inflammation or other
metabolic disturbances,” she hypothesized.
“Understanding these mechanisms could help identify
which components of ultra-processed foods are most detrimental and how they
influence health outcomes, ultimately guiding more effective strategies to
mitigate their negative effects,” said Tal.
For those looking to lower their intake of
ultra-processed foods, Monique Richard, a registered dietitian nutritionist and
owner of Nutrition-In-Sight, said one of the first priorities would be to first
understand why they are being consumed:
“There are a variety of reasons ultra-processed
foods may be incorporated in someone’s diet including convenience, financial or
accessibility limitations, availability or distribution of what is offered outside
the person’s choice — in a school, work or childcare setting for example — or
due to a preference or affinity; for example, children on the autism spectrum
or with a sensory disorder may only eat ultra-processed foods.”
“Looking
at your grocery cart, your trash bin, and your food receipts can provide a lot
of insight as to where your nourishment is coming from as well as a peak into
the level of quality,” Richard added. “It is also an opportunity for
catapulting change.”
She also offered some general tips to help cut
down on ultra-processed foods in your diet such as:
- · Fill your plate with fiber-rich foods and healthy fats that will keep you fuller for longer.
- · Eat foods that take a while to chew — such as salads, whole grains, whole fruits, vegetables, nuts in their shell — as this can help improve the ways in which the nutrients are metabolized (absorbed into the body).
- · Swaps ultra-processed foods such as cereal for old-fashioned oats with nuts, seeds and fruit.
- · Take a pass on the orange-powdered “cheese” puffs and opt for a natural snack, such as an orange, instead.
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