on PinterestUltra-processed meats and foods are linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Image Credit: Juan Moyano/StocksyResearch shows that ultra-processed foods can affect type 2 diabetes risk.
on PinterestUltra-processed meats and foods are linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Image Credit: Juan Moyano/Stocksy
- Research shows that ultra-processed foods can affect type 2 diabetes risk.
- A recent study found that eating the equivalent of 2 slices of ham a day can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 15%.
- Another study has shown that replacing ultra-processed foods with healthier options can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
There is no singular universally agreed-upon definition of ultra-processed foods.
However, the most commonly used definition is the NOVA classification. This classification discusses foods that contain formulations of ingredients, which are mostly of exclusive industrial use, and are typically created by a series of industrial processes and techniques.
Another definition for ultra-processed foods is those containing ingredients not typically found in your kitchen cupboard, such as emulsifiers, additives, or stabilizers.
Ultra-processed foods account for over 50% of the total dietary energy intake in developed countries, such as the United States.
Recent research has shown that consuming ultra-processed foods can have various health effects. This includes increasing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D).
However, research has also indicated that replacing ultra-processed foods with healthier options may lower your risk of developing diabetes and other chronic health conditions.
Processed meats linked to type 2 diabetes risk
A large 2024 study found that eating red meat and processed meats was associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The research team for this study analyzed 31 studies from 20 different countries. Altogether, this research included around 1.97 million people, 107,271 of whom were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during the 10-year follow-up period.
When the researchers examined the diets of the participants, they found that those who typically consumed around 50 grams of processed meat per day (equivalent to 2 slices of ham) had a 15% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes within the next 10 years.
Eating 100 grams of unprocessed red meat each day (the equivalent of a small steak) was associated with a 10% higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
“This is an important study that has confirmed, with a much more comprehensive analysis of a large cohort of older studies, that there is an association between higher intake of red meat or processed meat and increased risk of type 2 diabetes,” Silvana Obici, MD, Chief of the Division of Endocrinology at Stony Brook Medicine and Interim Medical Director of the Stony Brook University Hospital Diabetes Center, who was not involved in the research, told Healthline.
Still, Obici noted it’s essential to keep in mind that statistical association does not necessarily imply causation.
Jennifer Pallian, a registered dietitian and owner of Foodess, said that processed meats often contain high levels of:
- saturated fats
- sodium
- preservatives, such as nitrates
These have been associated with insulin resistance.
“In particular, researchers believe that nitrosamines — chemicals that form from nitrites and nitrates used in processed meats — might damage DNA and harm the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin,
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