Ultra-processed foods
can cause diabetes
Dr KK Aggarwal
President CMAAO and HCFI
Food, which has been significantly changed from its original
state, with salt, sugar, fat, additives, preservatives and/or artificial
colours added.
Ultra-processed foods like candy, soft drinks, pizza and
chips do not contain enough of the beneficial nutrients that the body requires.
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods: Vegetables,
grains, legumes, fruits, nuts, meats, seafood, herbs, spices, garlic, eggs and
milk.
Processed foods: When ingredients such as oil, sugar or salt
are added to foods and they are packaged, the result is processed foods.
Examples are simple bread, cheese, tofu, and canned tuna or beans. These foods
have been altered, but not in a way that’s detrimental to health.
Ultra-processed foods: These foods go through multiple
processes (extrusion, molding, milling, etc.), contain many added ingredients
and are highly manipulated. Examples are soft drinks, chips, chocolate, candy,
ice-cream, sweetened breakfast cereals, packaged soups, chicken nuggets,
hotdogs, fries and more.
High consumption of these ultra-processed foods is
associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, independent of other risk
factors including weight and nutritional quality of the diet, a new study
indicates.
Ultra-processed foods consumption has previously being
linked to increased risks of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, mortality,
depressive symptoms, and metabolic disorders.
The study published online
in JAMA Internal Medicine involved 104,707 participants in the ongoing,
web-based NutriNet-Santé study in France.
Rates of type 2 diabetes among the lowest and highest
ultra-processed foods consumers were 113 and 166 per 100,000 person-years,
respectively.
Over a median follow-up of 6 years, the consumption of
ultra-processed foods was found to be associated with a significantly higher
risk of type 2 diabetes, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.15 for each 10% increase
of ultra-processed foods in the diet.
Other physical and chemical processes, such as
high-temperature heating, are associated with the production of contaminants
posing health risks, such as acrylamide, found mainly in fried potatoes,
biscuits, cakes, and coffee, which have been associated with insulin
resistance.
Ultra-processed foods usually go through several physical
and chemical processes such as extruding, molding, pre-frying, (or)
hydrogenation, possibly leading to the production of new compounds with
potential cardiometabolic disruption properties.
They also typically contain food substances of no or rare
culinary use (some varieties of refined sugars, hydrogenated oils) and various
types of cosmetic additives (emulsifiers, sweeteners, thickening agents,
colorants), with cardiometabolic effects postulated for some.
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