4 ultra-processed foods that can cause diabetes revealed

Studies have shown that eating ultra-processed foods (UPF) is associated with a number of adverse health outcomes, such as an increased risk of cancer, diabetes and even early death.

Now, researchers have identified the four types of food that are most likely to lead to type 2 diabetes.

A new study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe , investigated the relationship between the degree of food processing and type 2 diabetes risk, including which kinds of food were most high-risk.

"We know that ultra-processed foods are associated with a higher risk of certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes," lead author Samuel Dicken, from University College London's Division of Medicine, said in a statement . "Our findings confirm this link and show that every 10% increase in the diet from ultra-processed foods increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes considerably."

For the study, researchers analyzed food intake and health outcomes for 311,892 people from eight European countries over 10.9 years on average, during which 14,236 people developed type 2 diabetes. The study found that every 10% increase in the amount of ultra-processed foods in a person's diet is linked with a 17% increase in type 2 diabetes risk.

The highest risk food groups were savory snacks, animal-based products such as processed meats, ready meals, and sugar-sweetened and artificially-sweetened beverages. Among people who ate the most ultra-processed foods, making up 23.5% of their total diet, sweetened beverages alone accounted for nearly 40% of their ultra-processed food intake and 9% of their diet overall.

On the other hand, the study found ultra-processed breads, biscuits and breakfast cereals, sweets and desserts, and plant-based alternatives were associated with lower incidence of type 2 diabetes.

"Not all foods categorized as ultra-processed foods are alike in terms of the health risks associated with them," author Rachel Batterham, professor at University College London, said in a statement. "Breads and cereals, for example, are a staple of many people's diets. Based on our results, I think we should treat them differently to savory snacks or sugary drinks in terms of the dietary advice we provide."

The good news: replacing ultra-processed foods with less processed foods was associated with a reduced type 2 diabetes risk. The study found that substituting 10% of ultra-processed foods in the diet can reduce type 2 diabetes risk by as much as 18%.

The exact causes of the link between ultra-processed foods and type 2 diabetes are unconfirmed, though several factors are thought to be at play including overconsumption and weight gain. In a previous study, increased body fat accounted for around half the association.

"The findings from this study add to the growing body of research that links consumption of ultra-processed foods with higher risk of certain chronic diseases including obesity, cardiometabolic diseases and some cancers," author Marc Gunter, professor at Imperial College London, said in a statement. "Reducing consumption of some ultra-processed foods and replacing them with unprocessed, whole foods, might lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Further research to understand mechanisms and potential causal pathways is now needed."

The research team is currently conducting a trial to assess the impact of ultra-processed foods versus diets with minimally-processed foods to further clarify the results of this study. The results are expected to be published in 2025.