The potential harms of ultraprocessed foods, or UPFs, have been well-documented in recent years. Most recently, a link between UPFs and Type 2 diabetes has also been found. According to a new study in The Lancet Regional Health-Europe in which 300,000 people were observed over a decade, over 14,000 Type 2 diabetes cases were identified over the years in conjunction with a 10% "increment of total daily food intake from UPF."
According to Korin Miller with Food & Wine, for every 10% increase in the amount of a person’s diet made up of ultra-processed foods, "a person had a 17% higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes," noting four particular types of UPFs that might be most harmful: savory snacks, ultra-processed meats, ready-to-eat meals and sweetened drinks.
Savory snacks include chips and packaged snacks, which are often high in "unhealthy fats, salt and refined carbohydrates. Ultra-processed meats can involve cured meats as well as cold cuts, while ready-to-eat meals and sweetened drinks can both contain added sugars.
Miller also notes that it's important to point out that the study was observational, "meaning the researchers can’t say for sure that having certain ultra-processed foods causes Type 2 diabetes. Instead, they simply found a link."
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