People who eat more ultra-processed foods (UPF) are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but this risk can be reduced by eating less processed foods instead, a new study led by UCL researchers reveals.
The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe in collaboration with experts from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, investigated the relationship between the degree of food processing and the risk of type 2 diabetes, including which types of UPF show the most big risk.
The team analyzed UPF intake and health outcomes for 311,892 people in eight European countries over an average period of 10.9 years, during which 14,236 people
They found that every 10% increase in the amount of ultra-processed foods in a person’s diet is linked to a 17% increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes, but this risk can be reduced by eating less processed foods.
The UPF groups at highest risk were savory snacks, animal products such as processed meats, ready meals, and sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages, suggesting that special attention should be paid to these foods to contribute to combating health problems.
The link between food and type 2 diabetes risk
The degree of food processing is most often assessed using the Nova classification, which divides foods into four groups: unprocessed or minimally processed (MPF) foods, such as eggs, milk and fruit; processed culinary ingredients (PCI) such as salt, butter and oil; processed foods (PF) such as canned fish, beer and cheese; and ultra-processed foods such as ready-to-eat/heated mixed meals, savory snacks, sweets and desserts.
The exact causes of the link between UPF and type 2 diabetes are not confirmed, although several factors are believed to be at play, including excessive consumption and weight gain. In one study, increased body fat accounted for about half of the association.
“We know that with a higher risk of certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. As expected, our findings confirm this link and show that every 10% increase in dietary UPF greatly increases the risk of developing diabetes of type 2.
In the study, UCL researchers analyzed data from the EPIC study, which investigated the relationship between diet, lifestyle and environmental factors and the incidence of chronic disease in more than half a million Europeans over time.
The exact causes of the link are not confirmed
Additional data analysis was performed to separate UPF into nine subgroups1 to better understand how type 2 processing level.
In addition to analyzing how UPF consumption affected a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the researchers performed substitution modeling of the data to see how, in theory, substituting one Nova food group for another would affect diabetes risk of type 2.
The results showed that replacing 10% of UPF in the diet with 10% of MPF/PCI reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by 14%.
Replacing 10% of UPF in the diet with 10% of PF reduced the risk of diabetes by 18%. The authors say this may be because 30-50% of PF intake in this study came from beer and wine, which were associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes in a previous EPIC study. PF also includes salted nuts, artisan breads, and canned fruits and vegetables.
Analysis of the nine UPF subgroups showed that savory snacks, animal products, ready meals, and sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages were associated with a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes, he writes.
High proportions of these less healthy foods contributed to the overall risk of type 2 diabetes.
However, UPF breads, crackers and breakfast cereals, sweets and desserts, and plant-based alternatives were associated with a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes.
