Chemicals added to popular sodas, sauces and desserts can lead to diabetes, scientists warn.
While previous studies looked at the harms of individual ingredients, researchers say they have studied the health effects of consuming dyes, preservatives and sweeteners in combination for the first time.
They found people who consumed certain additives regularly were up to 13 percent more likely to developed type 2 diabetes compared to those who did not.
Two groups were the most risky: emulsifiers – thickening agents in foods like ice cream and cheese – and artificial sweeteners – alternatives to sugar found in diet sodas.
Surprisingly, diet sodas were also linked to a higher risk of diabetes than those with real sugar.
Experts believe these additives may trigger full-body inflammation and high blood sugar, causing the pancreas to not produce enough insulin to keep glucose from building up in the bloodstream, leading to diabetes.
Additionally, sweeteners found in diet drinks may also disrupt the gut microbiome and lead to blood sugar spikes, increasing diabetes risk.
The team warned the findings could cause substantial risks for the millions of people worldwide who consume ultra-processed foods, as they make up nearly three-quarters of the US food supply.
More than 38million Americans suffer from type 2 diabetes, which is largely caused by obesity and poor diet. A new study from researchers in France, however, suggests two food additives could be to blame (stock image)
They wrote: ‘So far, research and safety evaluation of food additives has been conducted on a substance-by-substance basis, while in real-life, food additive mixtures are consumed by billions of people globally.
‘To our knowledge, this study is the first to estimate the exposure to food additive mixtures in a large population-based cohort and investigate their link with type 2 diabetes incidence.
‘These results suggest that food additives found in a wide variety of products and frequently consumed together may potentially represent a modifiable risk factor for type 2 diabetes prevention.
The new research, published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Medicine, looked at 108,643 adults from the French NutriNet-Santé cohort study, which investigates the link between nutrition and health.
Of those, 1,131 people developed type 2 diabetes during the study period.
Participants enrolled between May 2009 and December 2023 and were followed for an average of eight years.
The average age was 42, and nearly eight in 10 participants were female.
About 16 percent had a family history of type 2 diabetes. The average body mass index (BMI) was 24, meaning participants generally were not overweight, one of the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
Participants were asked to complete five questionnaires about their lifestyle, health, dietary habits, height and weight and physical activity levels after they enrolled in the study.
Every six months after enrollment, participants filled out three days’ worth of dietary records.
The researchers then looked at the amount of additives in each food using online databases. The participants consumed a total of 269 different additives during the study period.
The team looked at ingredients commonly grouped together in processed food.
Two groups were found to increase diabetes risk.
This group included: modified starches, found chips and canned soups; pectin, found in jams and jellies; guar gum, found in ice cream, yogurt, and salad dressing; carrageenan, found in dairy products; polyphosphates, found in vegan meat and cheese substitutes; potassium sorbates, found in fried fruits, sauces, and processed meats; curcumin, found in turmeric; and xanthan gum, found in ice cream and salad dressing.
All of these except for polyphosphates, potessium sorbates, and curcumin are emulsifers, which thicken foods and give them a creamy texture.
People who regularly consumed a combination of additives in this group had an eight percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes after an average of eight years.
Ice cream, margarine, cottage cheese, and mayonnaise are the most common foods with emulsifiers.
The above graph shows estimates for global diabetes cases. It is predicted that the number of people with the condition will more than double by the year 2050 compared to 2021
Diet sodas are the most common drinks containing artificial sweeteners, which the study linked to increased diabetes risk (stock image)
The second group included: citric acid, found in fruits like lemons and limes; sodium citrates, found in soft drinks and processed cheeses; phosphoric acid, found in soft drinks and some dairy products; sulphite ammonia caramel, found in cola drinks, sauces, and beer; acesulfame-K, found in diet sodas; aspartame, found in diet sodas like Diet Coke; sucralose, found in sodas, energy drinks, and baked goods; arabic gum, found in icing and chewing gum; malic acid, found in fruits like apples and cherries; carnauba wax, found in fruit snacks and cheese; paprika extract, found in meat products and sauces; anthocyanins; found in berries and grapes; and guar gum, and pectin.
In this group, the researchers particularly pointed to acesulfame-K, aspartame, and sucralose, which are all artificial sweeteners.
People who regularly ate foods with a combination of these additives in this group had a 13 percent increased risk.
The researchers said the increased risks were ‘independent from the nutritional quality of the diet,’ meaning even healthier foods traditionally shown to decrease diabetes risk were still linked to a greater chance of developing the condition.
The emulsifier group was responsible for 18 percent of association between fats and sauces and type 2 diabetes.
Emulsifiers, which are commonly found in ultra-processed foods like microwave meals, butter, dressings, and ice cream, could increase the risk of complications in offspring of pregnant mice
The above graphic shows some of the favorite snacks in the US that contain the sugar sweetener aspartame. Smint is a breath freshener sold in parts of the US
And the artificial sweetener group was responsible for 42 percent of the association between sugary drinks and type 2 diabetes and 52 percent of the link between artificially sweetened beverages and type 2 diabetes.
This suggests beverages with artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose were more closely linked to type 2 diabetes than those with real sugar.
Emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners been linked to disruptions in the gut microbiome, a network of bacteria that promote digestive health, as well as inflammation.
These issues can lead to insulin resistance, which occurs when cells in the body become less responsive to insulin. This causes glucose to accumulate in the bloodstream, leading to high blood sugar.
The pancreas then struggles to produce enough insulin to keep up, resulting in type 2 diabetes.
There were several limitations to the study, including that it was observational, meaning it cannot be proven these additives directly caused type 2 diabetes.
The data was also self-reported, leaving it prone to bias or potential errors.
