Study Links Reduced Ultra-Processed Food Intake and Increased Physical Activity to Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Dietary habits were evaluated through repeated 24-hour food diaries, and physical activity was measured using wrist-worn accelerometers. Additionally, researchers created a genetic risk score based on numerous variants associated with type 2 diabetes. Findings revealed that for each 10 percentage-point rise in ultra-processed food consumption, there was approximately a 7% increase in relative risk of type 2 diabetes. Conversely, individuals who engaged in more physical activity had a lower risk.

Among those with a high genetic predisposition to diabetes, a diet lower in ultra-processed foods combined with recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous exercise was linked to roughly half the risk compared to those with less favorable lifestyle choices. While these results align with previous studies connecting ultra-processed food consumption to diabetes and other cardiometabolic disorders, some headlines have overstated the implications. This study does not establish causation, and researchers noted that observed associations do not guarantee that reducing ultra-processed foods will definitively lower diabetes risk.

Experts stressed that participants' dietary habits were measured retrospectively, making it incorrect to claim that certain lifestyle changes directly cut risk. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that the ultra-processed food category comprises a wide variety of products, and only ultra-processed drinks maintained a significant association with diabetes after adjustments for confounding factors.

The genetic findings underscore that even with a higher susceptibility to diabetes, lifestyle choices remain crucial. This supports existing understandings that the risk of type 2 diabetes arises from interactions between genetic and environmental factors.

Physical activity is emphasized in this research, with its association to lower diabetes risk being particularly robust, thanks to objective measurement. Overall, the evidence suggests that maintaining a nutritious diet while limiting highly processed foods and staying physically active can be effective strategies for reducing diabetes risk. However, the study does not specify exact dietary changes or guarantee specific risk reductions.