The Worst Diabetes Triggers Are 'Ham and Sausage'... A Direct Hit Compared to Ramen and Cola

Ultra-processed Foods Like Ramen and Carbonated Drinks
Increase Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

A study has found that the higher the consumption of ultra-processed foods such as ham, sausages, and carbonated drinks, the greater the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

On the 29th, Professor Oh Hana's research team from the Department of Health Policy and Management at Korea University announced that they conducted a long-term prospective cohort study on 7,438 individuals aged 40 to 69 living in Ansan and Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, to examine the impact of ultra-processed food consumption on the incidence of type 2 diabetes. A prospective cohort study refers to tracking and observing the disease patterns of a specific group over time. The results of this study were published in the latest issue of the international journal The Journal of Nutrition.

Ultra-Processed Foods That Cause Diabetes

Sausage. [Image source=Pixabay]

Ultra-processed foods refer to foods that contain many food additives such as sweeteners, preservatives, and colorants. Representative examples include sausages, ramen, carbonated drinks, ice cream, and snacks.

The research team surveyed the participants’ food intake at the start of the follow-up in 2001?2002 using a questionnaire covering 103 items and observed the incidence of diabetes until 2019. The median observation period was 15 years.

During this period, a total of 1,187 people were diagnosed with diabetes through health check-ups. The study results showed that when participants were divided into four groups based on ultra-processed food consumption, the group with the highest intake had an estimated 34% higher risk of developing diabetes compared to the group with the lowest intake.

Ham and Sausages Increase Diabetes Risk by 40%

Ham. [Image source=Pixabay]

Among ultra-processed foods, ham and sausages had the greatest impact on the development of diabetes. The research team analyzed that a 1% increase in ham and sausage consumption raised the risk of developing diabetes by 40%. Additionally, ice cream, ramen, and carbonated drinks increased the risk of diabetes by 8%, 5%, and 2%, respectively.

However, candy and chocolate showed an inverse association, where higher consumption was linked to a decreased risk of diabetes, suggesting that further follow-up studies are needed to examine the related mechanisms and causal relationships, according to the research team’s analysis.

Professor Oh Hana explained, "The significance of this study lies in confirming the association between ultra-processed food consumption and diabetes risk over a long period in a large domestic population." She added, "Since diabetes is not only a chronic disease like hypertension and dyslipidemia but can also cause complications such as cardiovascular and kidney diseases, efforts to reduce ultra-processed food intake in daily life are necessary."