How Different Food Additives Affect Diabetes

Research shows that a diet containing 18 percent or fewer grams of ultra-additive-packed processed foods could protect against diabetes.

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While ultra-processed foods, including chips, diet sodas, and main dish products, such as fish sticks, may not be healthy as part of a regular diet for anyone, they pose a unique problem for people with Type 2 diabetes.

A study of African American populations in Austin, Texas, found that ultra-processed foods were associated with high blood sugar (glucose) levels over the course of months.

The study, conducted by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin (UTA), found that the more ultra-processed foods people ate, the worse their blood sugar levels were. The reverse also was noted, as the more minimally processed or unprocessed foods they ate, the better their blood sugar control.

The researchers believed that the detrimental effect of such foods on diabetes may be partly due to added ingredients, such as emulsifiers, sugar substitutes, and high-fructose corn syrup. Another factor associated with these foods that may play a role is their high carbohydrate and low fiber content, which leads to spikes in blood sugar.

Given the propensity of ultra-processed foods to interfere with blood sugar control, it is helpful to know how to recognize them and make healthier food choices.

Enemy of Blood Sugar Control

The study, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, explored whether eating ultra-processed foods, which contain high amounts of food additives, leads to higher blood sugar levels. The participants included 273 African Americans diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

Each study participant provided two 24-hour reports listing foods eaten during that time, as well as blood samples to measure HbA1C, which denotes a long-term average of blood sugar levels. The researchers analyzed the dietary reports, assigned each score indicating overall nutrition quality, and looked for correlations with HbA1C levels.

While no link was noted between diet quality and HbA1C, the number of grams of ultra-processed foods and beverages the participants consumed were associated with worse levels, indicating poorer blood sugar control. Consuming more whole foods or foods and beverages with minimal processing was linked to better blood sugar.

Although ultra-processed foods are usually high in added salt and sugar, the researchers determined that these factors alone were not responsible for the higher HbA1C levels. If salt and sugar were the main culprits, correlations would have been observed from the overall diet quality assessment, they said.

Coauthor Erin Hudson suggested the detrimental effects came partly from artificial ingredients, such as emulsifiers, sugar substitutes, synthetic flavors, and added colors in ultra-processed foods.

The ideal HbA1C score for people with Type 2 diabetes is below 7. Participants whose diet contained 18 percent or fewer grams of ultra-processed foods had a greater likelihood of meeting this goal.

“There are a lot of ways to look at and measure healthy eating,” senior author Marissa Burgermaster, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at UTA, said in a press release. “We set out to see which measurement was associated with blood sugar control in people with Type 2 diabetes.”

They concluded that the key measurement was the amount of ultra-processed foods eaten.

Ingredients Linked to Diabetes

While research has linked ultra-processed foods to an array of health risks, including obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and depression—some ingredients are specifically associated with Type 2 diabetes. The studies below suggest links to increased risk and offer hypotheses concerning underlying mechanisms of action.

Emulsifiers

Emulsifiers are ingredients added to food mixtures to keep components blended. For example, they are used in salad dressings to prevent oil and vinegar from separating.

A cohort study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology evaluated data from 104,139 adults in the French NutriNet-Santé study from 2009 to 2023. The researchers examined dietary records and lab tests when needed, documenting the incidence of Type 2 diabetes diagnoses over an average of 6.8 years. They found direct links between eating foods containing emulsifiers and an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.

The researchers stated that different emulsifiers are associated with different diseases, and there could be a distinct mechanism of action for each. For instance, emulsifiers linked to Type 2 diabetes may interfere with insulin signaling and blood sugar regulation.

Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are found in thousands of food products, many of which are ultra-processed. A prospective cohort study published in Diabetes Care looked into the relationship between various artificial sweeteners and Type 2 diabetes risk using data from 105,588 adults enrolled in the French NutriNet-Santé study.

The results indicated associations between Type 2 diabetes risk and the consumption of total artificial sweeteners, including acesulfame-K and aspartame. This suggests that artificial sweeteners should not be recommended as a safe alternative to sugar, noted the researchers.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup

High-fructose corn syrup is an additive in many ultra-processed foods and beverages, such as sodas, candy, and packaged sweets, such as cookies and cupcakes.

A study published in Global Public Health investigated a possible connection between the availability of foods containing high-fructose corn syrup and Type 2 diabetes prevalence in 43 countries. It found that countries with high availability of foods and beverages with high-fructose corn syrup had a greater prevalence of diabetes. The finding occurred despite differences in obesity, sugar availability, and calorie availability, as all these factors were similar in the countries examined.

Other Factors

The researchers in the UTA study noted that food additives are partly responsible for high blood sugar levels. This means that other factors play a role as well.

Dr. Resham Uttamchandani, a double-board-certified physician, weight loss expert, and founder of Doctor U, told The Epoch Times in an email that ultra-processed foods contribute to high blood sugar, mainly due to their high levels of refined carbohydrates and low fiber content. This leads to rapid digestion and blood sugar spikes.

“These rapid spikes and crashes not only strain our body’s insulin response but also create a cycle where we’re constantly left craving more sugar or refined carbs to get that quick energy fix,” she said. “This pattern can make it really challenging to maintain stable blood sugar levels and often leads to overeating.”

Over time, eating these foods frequently can cause insulin resistance, making it harder for cells to respond to insulin and resulting in persistently high blood sugar, Uttamchandani explained. (Insulin is the hormone that allows cells to take in glucose from the blood.)

Uttamchandani tells her patients that beyond the immediate blood sugar spikes, ultra-processed foods lack essential nutrients needed for stable glucose metabolism.

“They can even disrupt the gut microbiome, which is crucial for insulin sensitivity,” she added. “These mechanisms are why I encourage focusing on whole, minimally processed foods, which help keep blood sugar levels steady, reduce cravings, and support overall metabolic health. I see the difference it makes for my patients in their energy, focus, and long-term health.”

Diet Tips for Diabetes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the following tips for how to eat with diabetes:

• Select whole foods instead of processed foods whenever possible, such as oranges instead of orange juice.
• Eat fewer foods with added sugar and limit refined grains, such as white rice, white bread, and pasta made from white flour.
• Eat more non-starchy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and green beans.
• Use the plate method to plan meals, which involves filling half of a 9-inch plate with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter with carbs, and a quarter with lean protein sources, such as eggs, chicken, tofu, or beans.

Healthy Swaps for Ultra-Processed Foods

“Prepare meals in the home so that you can easily choose healthy alternatives from what is available,” Dr. Madhan Kumar Madathupalayam Velusamy, gastroenterology surgeon at iCliniq, told The Epoch Times in an email. He provided the following healthy swap recommendations:

• To satisfy your craving for snacks, try air-popped popcorn.
• To deal with sugar cravings, eat chopped fruits instead of sugary and processed snacks like pastries, croissants, or cookies. Dark chocolates can also be considered, but the amount should be in moderation only.
• Eat rolled oats rather than sweetened cereals for breakfast.
• Whenever you feel like crunching on something, opt for raw nuts to help satisfy your craving and keep you fuller for longer. Nuts are healthy when eaten in moderation.
• Instead of sodas and other sugary beverages, drink plain water, lime water with no added sugar, unsweetened tea, or even cucumber juice.
• Always go for whole wheat or whole grain bread for toast or sandwiches rather than white bread.
• Instead of refined flour cakes, eat whole grain cakes.
• Swap honey for refined sugars.
• Dry roasted or baked legumes are also great snack options that can replace ultra-processed potato chips.
• Instead of processed meat, eat fresh or frozen lean meat like chicken. It can be used as a filling in sandwiches or a topping on pizza.

“Ultra-processed food can not only deteriorate gut health but can cause several chronic health issues when consumed in the long run,” said Velusamy. “So it is high time to think of healthier or less harmful alternatives that can substitute and reduce your dependency on them.”