Potential link between food additives and type 2 diabetis

Consuming certain food additive mixtures could increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

In a study published in PLOS Medicine, investigators assessed the outcomes of more than 100,000 individuals who participated in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort.

After a follow-up of 7.7 years, the investigators identified more than 1,100 incident cases of Type 2 diabetes as well as five food additive mixtures commonly consumed in the participants’ diets. Among the mixtures, two of them demonstrated a positive association with Type 2 diabetes risk: The first of which contained emulsifiers, preservatives and dyes and the second of which contained acidifiers, acid regulators, dyes, artificial sweeteners and emulsifiers. The investigators noted that the first food additive mixture was found in broths, dairy desserts, fats and sauces; whereas the second mixture was found in artificially sweetened beverages. The association remained robust following adjustment for confounding factors such as age, sex, body mass index, physical activity level, smoking status, education level, socioprofessional category, household income, dietary variables and a family history of Type 2 diabetes.

The findings may lead to the development of interventions and public health recommendations targeting modifiable risk factors to reduce the burden of Type 2 diabetes.