Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Linked to Increased Risk of Diabetes in Adults

by | Dec 22, 2022 | 2022, Diabetes

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Subjects with an ultra-processed food intake ≥50 g/d had an increased risk of diabetes by 40% compared with non-UPF consumers. 

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most widespread metabolic diseases, which has a substantial impact on longevity and quality of life1. The prevalence of diabetes is projected to increase in the coming years, reaching 7079 and 7862 per 100,000 people in 2030 and 2040 respectively2. Dietary risk factors are leading contributors to the global burden of disease; leading contributors to diet-related deaths are cardiovascular disease (CVD) and DM3.

Recent studies show that higher intake of ultra-processed food (UPF) is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes4. Dramatic growth in the consumption of UPFs has been reported worldwide and this has been accompanied by an increase in the prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes5. UPFs are defined as industrial formulations of substances derived from foods, which typically contain cosmetic additives and little, if any, whole foods6. Furthermore, UPFs often have a higher content of total fat, saturated fat, and added sugar and salt, along with lower fiber and vitamin density7.

Li Ming et al. conducted a study using national representative data from the China Nutrition and Healthy Survey (CNHS) during 1997-2011 to assess the potential association between increased UPF consumption with diabetes and obesity among Chinese adults. Study inclusion consisted of being aged ≥20 years, having a self-reported diagnosis of diabetes, having attended at least two nutrition surveys, with plausible energy intake. The primary outcome of the study was diabetes occurrence. Individual dietary intake was collected by a trained investigator at each survey based on a 24-h dietary recall on each of 3 consecutive days. The long term cumulative mean UPF intake at each survey was calculated from all previous surveys to reduce within individual variation.

Anthropomorphic measurements including height, weight, and blood pressure were conducted at each survey round. Additionally, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were collected using a structured questionnaire. Physical activity level was estimated based on self-reported activities. Average UPF intake was categorized into non-consumers, 1-19, 20-49, and ≥50 g/day. ANOVA for continuous measures or chi-square tests for categorical ones was utilized to compare UPF intake levels. Mixed effect logistic regression models were used to assess the association between UPF intake and diabetes.

Subjects (n=12849) at entry had a mean age of 43.3 years and 49.0% were men. Hypertension and diabetes prevalence were 15.9% and 2.1%, respectively. Percentages of UPF energy over total energy intake was 0 for non-consumers, 1.6% for 1-19 g/d, 4.9% for 20-49g/d, and 14.3% for ≥50 g/d. At entry, 11% (n=1396) of subjects had UPF intake greater than 50 g/d. Significant findings of the study are as follows:

  • The unadjusted ORs (95%CI) of diabetes for UPF consumption levels of none, 1-19 g/d, 20-49 g/d, and >50 g/d were 1, 2.13 (1.76, 2.56), 2.79 (2.29, 3.40), and 2.60 (2.10, 3.23), respectively (p<0.001).
  • A cross-sectional analysis of 8382 participants in 2009 showed that both UPF intake in 1997-2009 or in 2009 was strongly associated with diabetes. After adjustments for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, the ORs (95%CI) of diabetes for UPF intake was 1.05 (0.86-1.28) for 1-19 g/d, 1.21 (0.96-1.51) for 20-49 g/d, and 1.31 (1.04-1.65) for ≥50 g/d (p for trend = 0.015).

Results of the study show that the increase in UPF consumption from 1997-2011 was associated with a significant increase in diabetes occurrence. Further research should continue to explore the effects of long-term UPF consumption on metabolic health. Study limitations include the potential for misclassification due to incomplete food processing information and the self-reported nature of diabetes.

Source:  Li, Ming, and Zumin Shi. “Association between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Diabetes in Chinese Adults—Results from the China Health and Nutrition Survey.” Nutrients 14, no. 20 (2022): 4241.

© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

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Posted December 22, 2022.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

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