Food Additives and Type 2 Diabetes: A New Study Reveals Troubling Findings
Food additives are commonly used in the agri-food industry, especially in ultra-processed products found on supermarket shelves. These additives have undergone individual safety evaluations in the past, but a recent study has shed light on the potential risks associated with consuming mixtures of these additives.
Researchers from Inserm, INRAE, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Paris Cité University, and Cnam, part of the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (CRESS-EREN), conducted a study to investigate the links between exposure to common food additive mixtures and the development of type 2 diabetes. The study analyzed health data from over 100,000 adults enrolled in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort.
The findings, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, revealed that two specific mixtures of food additives were associated with a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes. One mixture included emulsifiers such as carrageenans, modified starches, and other additives found in various food products like stocks, milky desserts, fats, and sauces. The other mixture contained sweeteners, colorings, and acidifiers typically found in artificially-sweetened drinks and sodas.
Previous studies have linked the consumption of certain food additives to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. However, this study was the first to analyze the combined impact of these additives on health outcomes.
The research team, led by Mathilde Touvier, analyzed the dietary records of participants in the NutriNet-Santé cohort over a period of 7.7 years. They identified five main mixtures of additives commonly consumed together in ultra-processed foods. Two of these mixtures were found to be linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
The study also detected interactions between the additives in these mixtures, suggesting that some additives may enhance or attenuate each other’s effects. The researchers emphasized the importance of further studies to understand the mechanisms behind these interactions and to develop strategies for preventing type 2 diabetes.
While this observational study does not establish a causal relationship, the findings highlight the potential risks associated with consuming certain food additive mixtures. The researchers recommended limiting the intake of non-essential food additives and considering their interactions when evaluating their safety.
For more information, the study titled “Food additive mixtures and type 2 diabetes incidence: Results from the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort” can be found in PLOS Medicine. The research was conducted by the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (CRESS-EREN) in collaboration with various institutions.
This new study underscores the need for further research into the effects of food additives on health and the importance of considering additive interactions in future evaluations.
