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Ultra-processed foods pose ‘unique dangers’ for type 2 diabetics, study finds
Most of us are susceptible to the quick-fix pleasures of the occasional ultra-processed snack, whether its in the form of a sweet treat or a packet of chips.
And for most of us, the occasional ultra-processed snack is OK, as long as it fits into a balanced diet. Diabetics, however, are particularly sensitive regarding blood glucose spikes. They need to be extra careful when eating foods that play with blood sugar levels. A recent health study shows how ultra-processed foods pose unique dangers for people with type 2 diabetes. Treatments exist for the condition, but one of the best things people can do to manage it is to eat carefully.
Eating more ultra-processed foods is linked with higher blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics
A team of nutritional scientists at The University of Texas at Austin has found that eating more ultra-processed foods is closely linked with higher blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
They published their work in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The study itself looked at African American populations specifically, because type 2 diabetes disproportionately affects them.
It found that African Americans with type 2 diabetes had higher average blood glucose levels after eating a diet that contained more ultra-processed foods.�In the US, about 12% of African Americans are diabetic, while 7% of the non-Hispanic white population has the disease, according to the CDC.
Minimally processed foods had no measurable effect on diabetics’ ability to regulate blood glucose, while those who ate more whole foods were better able to control their blood sugar levels.�
The universitys news bulletin about the study adds that eating more ultra-processed foods is also linked to higher rates of cardiovascular disease, obesity, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression and early death.
Understanding the difference between ultra- and minimally-processed foods
All this is useless if you dont know what the differences between ultra-processed foods, minimally processed foods, and whole foods are.
The American Heart Association admits that the difference between processed and ultra-processed sounds like a problem for linguists to argue about. But its very important. Why?
Because some of those foods are just fine � and too much of others can harm you.
It cites a US Department of Agriculture paper that explains that anything that changes the fundamental nature of an agricultural product heating, freezing, dicing, juicing is a processed food.
That means frozen vegetables, broccoli that has been cut into florets, and mini carrots that have been peeled before they hit the supermarket shelves are all processed foods. Peanut butter, cheese, and tinned fruits are all processed foods.
Ultra-processed foods go one step or several steps further. They involve multiple processes. Ultra-processed foods are made of substances extracted from foods, or derived from food constituents. They dont contain much actual food.
Examples include packaged chips, soft drinks, candy, dehydrated rice and pasta ready meals, and many fast foods.
There are a lot of ways to look at and measure healthy eating, UT professor Marissa Burgermaster says. We found that the more ultra-processed foods by weight in a persons diet, the worse their blood sugar control was, and the more minimally processed or unprocessed foods in a persons diet, the better their control was.
