Leyla Weighs In: Exploring the Link Between Food Additives and Type 2 Diabetes
About this episode
Leyla Muedin discusses a study linking food preservatives to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Registered dietitian nutritionist Leyla Muedin discusses a Nature Communications study of 108,723 French adults in the NutriNet-Santé cohort (2009–2023) examining long-term exposure to food preservatives and type 2 diabetes. Using detailed dietary records cross-referenced with product/additive databases, researchers identified 58 preservative-related additives and analyzed 17 consumed by at least 10% of participants; 1,131 diabetes cases occurred. Higher overall preservative intake was associated with a 47% increased diabetes risk (49% for non-antioxidant preservatives; 40% for antioxidant additives), with several specific additives linked to higher risk. Leyla questions whether the findings reflect preservatives themselves or the ultra-processed, refined-carbohydrate foods that contain them, emphasizing recommendations to favor fresh, minimally processed foods and limit refined carbs and processed foods.
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Guest: Leyla Muedin
Topics covered
- food additives
- type 2 diabetes
- dietary studies
- health risks
- nutrition
Keywords
- food additives
- type 2 diabetes
- preservatives
- nutrition
- dietary records
- health risks
- processed foods
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Nature Communications, NutriNet-Santé
Places: France
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