Higher Ultra-Processed Food Intake Associated With Poorer Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes: Study
Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), assessed using a brief validated screening tool, was independently associated with poorer glycemic control among adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Turkey. These findings suggest that brief UPF screening may be a practical approach to identify patients at risk of suboptimal glycemic control who could benefit from targeted nutritional counseling and dietary interventions. The study was published in the journal of Nutrients by Nezihe O.L. and colleagues.
In order to understand the genuine connection between highly processed food selection and metabolic stability, the scientists conducted a detailed cross-sectional observational study in a tertiary general internal medicine outpatient clinic. The team included 425 participants aged from 18 to 65 years who have been suffering from a clinically diagnosed condition of type 2 diabetes mellitus for no less than six months. For the accurate assessment of the level of processing of the individual's diet, doctors employed the Turkish translation of the Short Screening Questionnaire of Highly Processed Food Consumption (sQ-HPF), which is a valid screening instrument that evaluates the diet on a scale from 0 to 11, with 6 and above indicating high UPF consumption.
The main criterion for the study was HbA1c of the participants' blood that was considered as a continuous and dichotomous variable with a cutoff value of 7.0%. To separate the effect of the dietary habits, multiple linear and binary logistic regression analysis were conducted employing a hierarchy of covariates, including age, sex, body mass index (BMI), total diabetes duration, and insulin treatment.
Key findings:
- Overall, the calculated score of sQ-HPF showed a significantly strong positive correlation with HbA1c levels determined in the lab (r = 0.423, p < 0.001).
- Within the fully adjusted linear regression model, a single unit increase of total UPF score in one patient corresponded to a 0.418% increment in HbA1c (95% CI: 0.333-0.503; β = 0.413; p < 0.001).
- In the fully adjusted logistic regression model, a single point increase in total UPF score was significantly correlated with 25.0% greater likelihood of poor glycemic control with respect to 7.0% of HbA1c (OR = 1.250, 95% CI: 1.110-1.408, p < 0.001).
- Along with high dietary scores, use of insulin as a form of diabetes management and male sex were significant predictors of poor blood glucose control.
- No statistically significant correlations were found between the total UPF score and lipid panel and C-reactive protein.
In summary, increased consumption of UPFs, measured using a short-validated screener, is independently linked to worse glycemic control in adult patients with T2DM in Turkey. Short screening for UPF consumption can be used to determine those patients in need of dietary counseling. These cross-sectional findings are essential to the field of modern endocrinology, as they empirically prove the importance of the structural composition of food alongside carbohydrates and adherence to medications.
Reference:
Otay Lule, N., Şahin, S., Lule, K. O., & Yildiz, H. (2026). Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Is Independently Associated with Higher HbA1c and Poor Glycemic Control in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes. Nutrients, 18(12), 1951. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18121951
