The Study
Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods and Metabolic Parameters in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study
This study looked at what people with diabetes ate and checked their cholesterol levels at the same time. It found that people who ate more ultra-processed foods tended to have higher cholesterol, but it couldn't tell if the food caused the high cholesterol or if people with high cholesterol just happened to eat more of those foods.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at what people with type 2 diabetes ate and checked their blood numbers to see if eating more packaged, processed foods made their health worse.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1A 20–27 mg/dL rise in cholesterol is clinically meaningful—it could increase heart disease risk over time, even if blood sugar stays the same.
- 2People who ate the most ultra-processed foods (about 28–46% of their calories) had cholesterol levels 26–27 mg/dL higher and LDL ('bad') cholesterol 20 mg/dL higher than those who ate less.
- 3Their blood sugar and weight didn't change.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Year
2025
Authors
Julia Bauer, Fernanda Oliveira Ayala, Aline Marcadenti, Rachel Helena V Machado, Ângela Cristina Bersch-Ferreira, Maria Fernanda Souza Moreira, M. V. Beretta, A. M. P. Feoli, F. Busnello
Related Content
Claims (6)
About one-quarter of the American diet consists of ultra-processed foods with additives and flavor combinations that alter gut microbiota and lead to metabolic dysfunction.
In people with type 2 diabetes, eating more ultra-processed foods does not change levels of HbA1c, fasting glucose, body mass index, or waist circumference.
In people with type 2 diabetes, eating more ultra-processed foods does not steadily raise or lower cholesterol levels in a straight-line pattern; instead, cholesterol changes differently at certain intake levels.
Adults with type 2 diabetes who get 27.9–45.6% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods have higher total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels than those who get less than 19.5% of their calories from these foods, with no difference in blood sugar or body weight.
Adults with type 2 diabetes get about 16.4% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, which is less than what is seen in other groups, suggesting differences in diet or region affect how much ultra-processed food people consume.
Among adults with type 2 diabetes, those who consume the most ultra-processed foods have higher HDL cholesterol levels compared to those who consume the least, with an average difference of 17.5 mg/dL.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.