Subtracting additives to reduce your Type 2 diabetes risk
The average American woman reads almost 16 books a year; men just under 10! And according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture survey, nearly 80% of U.S. adults read food labels before deciding whether to buy a packaged product or not.
That's a lot of information to digest -- but label reading is important because it helps you avoid overprocessed foods that contribute to a roster of health woes, from dementia, cancer, and liver disease to Type 2 diabetes. And, according to a new study in PLOS Medicine, food additives tend to travel in herds -- crowding the labels with a string of impossible-to-pronounce and mysterious ingredients. The combinations just up the additives' contributions to premature aging, inflammation and chronic diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes.
Two common combos are 1. modified starches, pectin, guar gum, carrageenan, polyphosphates, potassium sorbates, curcumin, and xanthan gum; and 2. citric acid, sodium citrates, phosphoric acid, sulphite, ammonia caramel, acesulfame-K, aspartame, sucralose, arabic gum, malic acid, carnauba wax, paprika extract, anthocyanins, guar gum, and pectin.
These two super-lists of additives increase your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes even if you eat a mostly healthy diet. That means, say the researchers who looked at data on more almost 110,000 adults, that if you eliminate these "packages" of food additives, you may dodge diabetes and its related complications.
To check on how you are faring, take the ActualAge test at LongevityPlaybook.com and then make plans to live younger, happier and longer with the advice in my book "The Great Age Reboot."
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.longevityplaybook.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@longevityplaybook.com.
(c)2025 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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