Only some ultra-processed foods (UPF) can harm our health, a study has suggested. For example, type 2 diabetes, a very serious disease, from which many patients in Romania suffer, can be caused by unhealthy eating.
Some say, however, that not every type of fast food leads to illness.
What are the foods loved by everyone that lead to type 2 diabetes. Chocolate is not the first
Additive-laden foods have been criticized for decades for their alleged risks, with studies linking them to cancer and heart disease.
Experts have even called for ultra-processed foods—usually any edible that contains more artificial ingredients than natural ones—to be eliminated from diets.
But researchers in South Korea, who chose to explore risk factors for type 2 diabetes, said that only pizza, noodles, ice cream, sausages and ham increase the risk of developing the condition.
Diabetes Photo: Frepik.com
Surprisingly, a high intake of chocolate and sweets was linked to a lower risk, their data suggested.
UPFs refer to items that contain ingredients that people would not typically add when cooking homemade food.
These additions may include chemicals, dyes, sweeteners and preservatives that extend the shelf life.
Convenience foods, ice cream and tomato ketchup are some of the most beloved examples of products that fall under the UPF umbrella term, now synonymous with foods that offer little nutritional value because they are generally higher in sugar , salt and fat.
They are different from processed foods, which are modified to make them last longer or to enhance their taste, such as meat, cheese and fresh bread.
Researchers at Korea University, Seoul, noted that it is unclear whether UPFs are linked to type 2 diabetes, which is usually caused by obesity.
Being fat itself is linked to a diet loaded with junk food and a sedentary lifestyle.
They analyzed data from more than 7,000 people aged 40 to 69 in the cities of Ansan and Ansung, who were asked about how often they ate 103 different foods.
For people who consumed the least UPF, the food group accounted for less than 1.6% of their daily food intake in grams. At the other end of the scale, UPFs accounted for up to 44.9% of a person’s diet among those who ate the most.
The most commonly consumed UPFs among participants were fizzy drinks, followed by instant noodles, they said.
Over a follow-up period of an average of 15 years, 1,187 participants developed type 2 diabetes.
They found that compared to those who ate the least UPF, people who ate the most had a 34 percent higher risk of developing the condition.
The risk increased especially when analyzing the consumption of ham and sausages.
Higher consumption of ice cream, instant noodles and carbonated drinks also increased the risk.
However, the opposite was true for sweets and chocolate.
Higher intake of both preparations was associated with a 22% lower risk.
Researchers have suggested that this is due to the high levels of flavanols in chocolate. This nutrient has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and is most concentrated in high quality dark chocolate.
What the research shows about ultra-processed foods
Writing in The Journal of Nutrition the researchers added: “Several studies from the US and European countries have reported a positive association between UPF intake and diabetes risk.
“However, little is known about the association in Asian populations.
Also read: 13 hidden signs of Type 2 diabetes. “Most people don’t notice them for years”
“Associations between UPF consumption and diabetes risk may vary between countries due to differences in commonly consumed UPF items, ingredients and manufacturing methods, and nutrient content of UPF.”
They said: “Our data suggest that high consumption of ultra-processed foods, especially ham/sausage, instant noodles, ice cream and carbonated beverages, is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in Korean adults.”
Photo: Freepik.com
Responding to the study results, Professor Gunter Kuhnle, an expert in nutrition and food science at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: “It’s nice to see that they have a subgroup analysis – but the results are a bit surprising.
“It’s no surprise that processed meat is associated with increased risk – we know that from many other studies. But the lack of a strong association with sugar-sweetened beverages is.
“The association is borderline significant, but sugar-sweetened beverages typically have a much stronger association with diabetes risk. Perhaps this is a reflection of the very different eating patterns in Korea.
He added: “In many ways, the study confirms that the associations between UPF intake and disease risk are generally driven by a few food groups that were previously known.
“Focusing on those for health would probably be a much better use of research funding and public health messaging.”
It comes after two studies, published in August, found that those who eat a lot of ultra-processed foods are at greater risk of heart attacks and dangerous high blood pressure.
Participants labeled the findings as the strongest evidence yet of the harmful effects of eating ultra-processed foods.
In response, some have called for warning labels on ultra-processed foods and official guidance on how much people should eat.
But other experts argued that calls to avoid ultra-processed foods “risk demonizing foods that are nutritionally beneficial”.
For example, flavored yogurts, baked beans, and even baby formula are technically ultra-processed foods, as are ready meals, even if they contain fresh vegetables.
Read also: Over 24,000 Romanians die annually from causes related to diabetes. Similar number to the population of Sighisoara
Earlier this month, researchers, including several from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) – the World Health Organization’s cancer agency – also suggested there was no link between an increased risk of the disease and bread, cereals and ultra-processed bread. the tables.
Almost 4.3 million people were living with diabetes in 2021/22, according to the latest figures for the UK.
And another 850,000 people have diabetes and are completely unaware of it.
That worried health officials because untreated type 2 diabetes can lead to complications, including heart disease and stroke.
About 90% of diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes, which is associated with obesity and is usually diagnosed in middle age, rather than type 1 diabetes, a genetic condition usually identified early in life.
What are ultra-processed foods?
Ultra-processed foods are high in added fat, sugar, and salt, low in protein and fiber, and contain artificial colors, sweeteners, and preservatives.
The term covers foods that contain ingredients that a person would not add when cooking at home – such as chemicals, dyes and preservatives.
Takeaways, ice cream, sausages, fried chicken and ketchup are some of the most beloved examples.
They are different from processed foods, which are processed to make them last longer or to enhance their taste, such as meat, cheese and fresh bread.
Ultra-processed foods, such as sausages, cereals, crackers and fizzy drinks, are formulations made mostly or entirely of food-derived substances and additives.
Read also: Worrying figures for Romania: The number of diabetic patients increased by a third in 5 years
They contain little or no unprocessed or minimally processed foods such as fruits, vegetables, seeds and eggs.
Foods are usually full of sugars, oils, fats and salt, as well as additives such as preservatives, antioxidants and stabilizers.
Ultra-processed foods are often presented as ready-to-eat, taste good and are cheap, according to Open Food Facts .
2023-12-03 08:44:47
#foods #loved #lead #type #diabetes #Chocolate #Newsweek #Romania
