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diabetes

January 18, 2023

Common food additive associated with type 2 diabetes risk

By Grace van Deelen

Chemical compounds commonly used to cure ham, bacon and other meats are associated with type 2 diabetes risk, according to new research.

Nitrites are often used to extend the shelf life of food products. While harmless nitrites also occur naturally in foods, nitrite additives have been linked to certain cancers. A study published this week in PLOS Medicine has determined another health risk from the chemicals: type 2 diabetes. Researchers found people with elevated intake of nitrites, specifically from food additives and drinking water, had a higher risk of eventually developing the disease.

The study authors wrote that their findings show a “direct association” between nitrite additives and type 2 diabetes risk. The study is the first to find an association between the chemicals and type 2 diabetes.

The research team, which included scientists from the World Health Organization, the University of Paris, and Sorbonne University, used data from a nationwide study of over 100,000 French adults that tracked their dietary choices and health status between 2009 and 2021. From that data, the team estimated nitrite exposure. Participants with higher exposure to nitrites from food additives, and specifically those with higher exposure to sodium nitrite, had a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Processed meats were the biggest source of nitrite additives consumed by study participants, at 60%, followed by ready-to-eat meals with processed meats at 16%. Other foods with processed meats made up virtually all of the nitrite consumption.

July 27, 2022

How going green, diet and communities of color intersect

As climate change and environmental pollutants create harsh conditions that threaten not only planetary health but also human health, a chorus of voices is calling for recognition of the benefits associated with reductions in meat consumption and a shift to more plant-based dietary patterns.

Going “green” is a concept that is taking root in myriad measures, from efforts to reduce the burning of greenhouse gases to vertical farming practices that grow crops in urban and indoor settings. And healthy, plant-based diets are at the center of many of the moves.

For certain populations, the shift is seen as particularly urgent. Many serious diet-related health problems, including heart disease and diabetes are top causes of death for Black and Latino populations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

But pushes for dietary changes in the general U.S. population are also creating concerns about the potential for ever sharper divides between those who have the financial means and access to move to healthier diets, and those who do not.

“You can’t just implement one policy and expect a lot of these historic patterns to change, there needs to be multiple different shifts to the way that our economy works,” said Nicole Wong, climate resilience program manager at The Greenlining Institute, an organization aimed at helping “communities of color” become “ready to meet the challenges posed by climate change.”