Eating Ultraprocessed Foods Tied to Diabetes Risk

By Amy Orciari Herman

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

Higher intake of ultraprocessed foods (for example, packaged snack foods) is associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes, according to a prospective study in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Over 100,000 French adults completed a series of 24-hour dietary recall questionnaires over a 2-year period. During a median follow-up of 6 years, roughly 820 participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

After adjustment for body-mass index, physical activity, and other confounders, participants who ate more ultraprocessed foods were at higher risk for diabetes. In particular, the risk increased by 13% with each 10% increase in the proportion of diet comprising ultraprocessed foods.

The authors note that in previous studies, ultraprocessed foods have been linked to increased risks for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and mortality.