Notice to diabetics: eating healthy is not enough if your diet is rich in ultraprocess foods

A new study reveals that dietary indications for people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes of following a nutritious and healthy diet, and paying attention to ingested calories, as well as nutrients contained in various foods, may not be sufficient and that a paperImportant when determining the future state of health of these patients, it could be performed by the degree of processing of foods that end on the dish, according to their authors in the 'American Journal of Clinical Nutrition'.

The work, carried out by the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of the I.R.C.C.S.Neuromed of Pozzilli (Italy), has now analyzed whether the consumption of ultraprocessed food could also be a risk factor for the most vulnerable people, such as those suffering from type 2 diabetes. The results show that high consumption of ultraprocessed foods is associatedto a substantial increase in the risk of mortality, especially due to cardiovascular diseases, regardless of the nutritional quality of the diet, reflected by adhesion to the Mediterranean diet.

Ultraprocessed foods are products that have been subjected to often intense processing, made, partly or entireThey contain several food additives, such as dyes, preservatives, antioxidants, flavor enhancers and sweeteners.Its main objective is not to improve the nutritional properties of food, but to enhance their taste, appearance and useful life, such as packaged snacks, soft drinks and sugary, pre -cooked meals and fast food.In addition, the processing level, as well as the use of additives, are characteristics that can also be found in foods that we could consider healthy, such as fruits yogurt, breakfast cereals, salty cookies and much of the meat substitutes.

The Italian researchers analyzed the data of the Great Moli-Sani study and specifically examined 1,066 participants suffering from type 2 diabetes at the beginning of the study in 2005-2010.

"During an average follow-up of 12 years-Marialaura Bonaccio says, epidemiologist of the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of the IRCCS Neuromed of Pozzilli and first author of the study-we observe that a diet rich in ultra-processed foods exposed to people with diabetes to a majorRisk of death.Of the main causes of death among people with diabetes, it was more than double, "warns.

"One of the most interesting results of this-added Licia Iacoviello, director of the Department and Professor of Hygiene at the University of Impubria of Varese and how- is that the increase in the risk linked to ultra-processed foods was observed even when theParticipants declared a good adhesion to the Mediterranean diet.

"These results," Giovanni de Gaetano, president of the IRCCS Neuromed of Pozzill-, dietary recommendations should also suggestLimit the consumption of ultraprocessed foods.In this context, and not only for people with diabetes, the nutritional labels of containers should also include information on the degree of food processing, "he concludes.

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