UPFs could raise diabetes risk if they have these additive combinations

A recent study has highlighted the potential dangers of consuming ultra-processed foods (UPFs) regularly, due to certain combinations of additives that can increase the risk of diabetes, even when these additives aren't consumed at the same time.

The research was a collaborative effort between Université Sorbonne Paris Nord and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research. Their focus was on how the body reacts to multiple food additives at once since most prior studies have isolated the effects of single additives which do not reflect the average person's diet.

Speaking to , Mathilde Touvier, who leads the nutritional epidemiology research team, said: "In real life, we ingest a mixture of additives". By analysing the diets of 108,000 adults over an eight-year period, the team identified five groups of additives that people tend to consume together frequently.

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The study found two specific combinations of these additives found to be associated with a higher likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. They were:

• Mixture 2: Modified starches, pectins, guar gum, carrageenan, polyphosphates, potassium sorbate, curcumin, xanthan gum

• Mixture 5: Citric acid, sodium citrates, phosphoric acid, sulphite ammonia caramel, acesulfame K, aspartame, sucralose, arabic gum, malic acid, carnauba wax, paprika extract, capsanthin, and capsorubin, anthocyanins, guar gum, pectins

Food aisles are full of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) that bear a long list of additives, and while it's unlikely to encounter a single product containing all the ingredients from these mixtures, they could sneak into an average diet over the course of a day.

Though some of these additives might not be as common in UK food products, some additives you may notice on the shelves include: pectin, which often turns up in jam, sorbitol, which is used in 'diet' items as a sugar substitute, and glycerol, which is used as a thickener that also retains moisture.

Mengxi Du, a research associate at the Harvard T. H.Chan School of Public Health, explained how easy it could be to incorporate these additives into one's eating pattern whilst speaking to NBC. Mengxi said: "These are pretty common products in someone's fridge and a lot of times we combine them."

For instance, mixture two consists of numerous thickening agents typically found in plant-based milks, and mixture five contains an array of artificial sweeteners that are likely consumed by individuals adhering to low-fat or low-calorie diets filled with UPFs.

The researchers highlighted that the study did not definitively establish a cause-and-effect relationship due to the limitations in studying people's diets. The heightened risk of diabetes could be associated with other factors, as foods containing these ingredients are often high in calories and low in nutritional value.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have been making headlines recently due to concerns about their prevalence in our diets. One study revealed that UK adolescents aged 11 to 18 get approximately two-thirds of their daily calorie intake from UPFs.

Those from disadvantaged backgrounds consumed a higher percentage of UPFs, accounting for 68.4% of their diet, compared to less deprived individuals who consumed 63.8% of their calories from these foods.