A New Study Says Ultra-Processed Foods Up Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes. Here’s Why an RD Says You Can Still Enjoy Them

A study published yesterday in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe has linked eating ultra-processed foods to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, building on previous research2 that has drawn a connection between the metabolic disease and ready-to-eat foods like frozen meals, potato chips, and soda.

Here, a registered dietitian explains the risks of ultra-processed foods and why you don’t have to cut them out completely.

First, a closer look at the study

As far as studies go, this one was pretty comprehensive. It included more than 300,000 people and followed them for more than 10 years. During this decade-long process, researchers studied the relationship between the degree of processed food people ate and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Foods that were deemed the most processed (that’s how they got their ultra title) include savory snacks, processed meats, ready meals, and drinks with lots of added sugar like soda or sweet tea. Regularly eating ultra-processed foods posed the highest risk for developing type 2 diabetes, researchers found.

The researchers also noted a direct correlation between the amount of ultra-processed food in a person’s diet and the risk of type 2 diabetes. But they also said this risk can be lowered by choosing less-processed foods instead (think: whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables and minimally processed foods like unsweetened yogurt, oats, and canned fish and beans).

Okay, how much is too much ultra-processed food?

When it comes to how foods affect our health, it’s important to look at how often the food is being eaten, says Alexis Law, RDN, a registered dietitian with Top Nutrition Coaching. “Usually with ultra-processed foods, they are accessible and affordable, which makes it easy to access them very regularly. This can cause people to easily go overboard on them.”

Ultra-processed foods tend to be higher in sugar, salt, and fat—ingredients that are fine to have in moderation, but not necessarily ideal to have all the time.

“Most people are already getting enough or even too much of this in their diet,” Law says. The issue is, she adds, that if you're eating a lot of sugar, salt, and fat in ultra-processed foods, you're not leaving enough room in your eating plan for the nutrients your body needs from less-processed foods like fruits and vegetables.

"If you are not getting enough of the foods you need because you are eating too much of a different food, then it’s too much," Law says. "There are also general guidelines for sodium intake, so if these [ultra-processed] foods cause you to eat more than the recommended cap of 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, then it may also be too much.”

So can ultra-processed foods be included in a healthy diet?

Before you toss out your favorite bag of chips or candy, you’ll be glad to know you can still enjoy ultra-processed foods as part of a healthy, balanced eating plan. But keep in mind, Law says, that whole and minimally processed food should make up the majority of your nutrition.

“A great way to focus on prioritizing a balanced diet is to focus on food you need more of. I love having a snack plate where you incorporate some 'fun' foods and some 'needed' foods,” Law says. “For example, if you want a few chips, they are not very filling alone, so it’s easy to eat a lot of them. But if you take a few chips and also pair them with a protein like some nuts or cheese, and even some veggies like baby carrots or cucumbers, you will get some foods that are needed without going overboard on the more ‘fun' foods.”

As Law explains, there shouldn’t be an “all-or-nothing” approach to eating. This often isn't realistic, for one. And what's more, restricting ultra-processed foods can increase cravings and possibly lead to overeating.

“Food is such a joy in life, and at the end of the day, just because you cut something out doesn’t mean you are getting enough of the foods you need," Law says. Instead: "Focus on what to add to your diet."

And one more tip: "Be mindful and present while eating 'fun' foods so that you enjoy them more," Law says. (In other words, skip snacking while doing other things, like driving or watching TV.) "This will help make them more satisfying.”

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