Processed Foods and Diabetes: What You Need to Know

For years, researchers worldwide have been trying to pinpoint risk factors for type 2 diabetes. It's often said that the exact causes of this type of diabetes are unknown, but there are conditions such as being overweight or having a close family member with diabetes that increase the risk.

Recently, a large-scale study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that the consumption of ultra-processed foods increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study also indicated that among various processed foods, some are associated with a significantly higher risk than others.

The study involved close to 200,000 participants divided into three groups based on age and health status: a group of 71,871 women, another group of 87,918 women, and an additional group with 38,847 men. The groups were monitored over an extended period, during which the researchers assessed participants' conditions using a scoring system based on tests and self-reports. At the end of the study, the researchers examined how many cases of type 2 diabetes emerged among participants and were able to demonstrate that the ratio between those who regularly consumed processed foods and developed diabetes compared to those who did not consume such foods and developed diabetes was 1.46.

The researchers also specifically looked at types of processed foods, noting that certain foods are significantly more likely to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, such as ready meals, spreads and additives, processed breads, and sugary drinks. In contrast, there is a list of foods associated with a reduced risk of developing diabetes, including grains, brown breads, whole-grain breads, fruit-based products, and dairy products.

In the meta-analysis of the study, in which the researchers reviewed data from all the groups, they noted that the data shows for every 10% increase in the consumption of processed foods, there appears to be a 12% increase in the risk of diabetes.