Additives in sauces and drinks have been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes

Today it is difficult to imagine store shelves without bright packaging, perfect consistency and rich taste. All this is due to dietary supplements. They make products attractive and convenient, but at the same time remain almost invisible. It is precisely because of this invisibility that consumers rarely think about how such substances affect their health.

Recent large-scale work based on the observation of more than 100,000 people has called into question previous confidence in the safety of supplements. It turned out that certain combinations of them can increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. Moreover, we are talking about those mixtures that are most often found in popular sauces, desserts and drinks.

Modern nutrition increasingly includes ultra—processed foods, which account for 15 to 60% of the daily diet in developed countries. They are not only poor in useful substances, but also saturated with various preservatives, stabilizers, dyes and flavor enhancers.

Although each supplement was approved individually, their combined effect in real products has not been studied. But one package can contain several substances at once, the interaction of which no one has seriously tested.

As part of a large-scale analysis, five common combinations of additives present in the diet of volunteers were identified. Two of them were found to be associated with a higher risk of diabetes. At the same time, the increase in risk reached 8-13%, even if the product as a whole was not considered “unhealthy”.

The first combination included emulsifiers like carrageenan and xanthan gum, the preservative potassium sorbate, and the natural dye curcumin, which are commonly found in broths, dairy desserts, and fatty sauces. The second is more complicated, with the inclusion of acids, artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, etc.), caramel colors and flavors. It was most often found in sugary sodas and “diet” drinks.

It is important that the risk of developing diabetes was not simply explained by the poor quality of these products. Even if the participant’s overall diet remained relatively balanced, the effect of the supplements persisted. This may indicate underlying disorders caused by such substances.

Scientific evidence suggests that the main target is the intestinal microflora. Changing its composition under the influence of the same sweeteners or thickeners can disrupt insulin and glucose metabolism.

Another observation is also impressive: additives, which individually do not cause serious changes, can enhance the harmful effects of each other in a pair. For example, certain dyes combined with acids or flavors enhance neurotoxicity in animal experiments.

These conclusions are an important signal. While it is not completely clear exactly how supplements interact inside the body, it is worth approaching their consumption carefully. Especially when it comes to products where there are several of them at once.

The study opens a new chapter in understanding nutrition and health. It shows that it is time to reconsider outdated approaches to food safety and take into account how modern food really works. It also reminds us that the simpler and more natural a product is, the safer it is for the body.