Scientists at the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Texas in the United States of America warned in a new study that eating ultra-processed foods may harm people with type 2 diabetes.
Researchers point out that eating highly processed, packaged foods, such as diet soft drinks and biscuits, is strongly associated with higher blood sugar (glucose) levels in people with type 2 diabetes, according to the results of the study published on October 8 in an academic journal. Nutrition and dietetics.
A growing body of research links overconsumption of processed foods to a host of health problems, from higher rates of heart disease to obesity, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression and early death. The degree of processing of foods is usually evaluated using the Nova classification, which divides foods into 4 groups:
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods such as eggs, milk, and fruits.
- Processed food ingredients such as salt, butter and oil.
- Processed foods such as canned fish and cheese.
- Ultra-processed foods such as ready-to-eat or heated meals, salty snacks and sweets.
Ultra-processed foods and diabetes
The study linked dietary habits and control of blood sugar (glucose) levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is one of the types of diabetes that leads to high blood sugar levels, and occurs as a result of resistance in the body’s cells to the hormone insulin or insufficient levels of blood sugar. The amount of insulin produced in the pancreas.
Eating food that contains additives leads to an increase in the average blood sugar level over several months, which is known as “cumulative blood sugar.”
“We found that the more processed foods weighed in a person’s diet, the worse their blood sugar control,” said Marissa Bergmaster of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Texas, a co-author of the study, according to the “Science Daily” website. “The more unprocessed or unprocessed foods you eat, the better your blood sugar control.”
The study included 275 American adults in the city of Austin, USA, who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Each person provided two records of what he ate for 24 hours and a blood sample to measure cumulative blood sugar levels.
Dietary records were then evaluated using 3 well-known dietary indicators to assess the quality of the person’s diet.
Participants who ate higher amounts of unprocessed foods or minimally processed foods and beverages had better blood sugar control. The study also found that participants whose processed foods made up less than 20% of their diet had better blood sugar control.
Processed foods usually contain high levels of sugar and sodium, but scientists say the harmful effects on health may not be limited to them.
Scientists suspect that the use of artificial flavors, added colors, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, and similar ingredients may be at least partially responsible for these harmful effects.
The study calls for new dietary guidelines that focus more on ultra-processed foods. The scientists say: “Future research should explore whether there is a causal relationship between food processing and high blood sugar, and investigate the mechanisms by which processed foods may affect blood sugar control.”