A recent study has found a link between the consumption of nitrite-containing food additives and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. This means that people who consume these food additives in processed meats, such as bacon and hot dogs, may have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who do not. However, it is important to note that this is just one study and further research is needed to fully understand the potential link between nitrite additives and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, the development of type 2 diabetes is influenced by many factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and diet.
Nitrites and nitrates are naturally occurring in water and soil, and are commonly consumed through drinking water and dietary sources. They are also used as food additives to extend the shelf life of foods. Bernard Srour of the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN-CRESS) of Inserm, INRAE, Cnam, and Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Bobigny, France, and colleagues published a study in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine that suggests a link between dietary exposure to nitrites and the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Some public health officials have advocated for the restriction of nitrites and nitrates as food additives. However, little is known about the role of dietary nitrites and nitrates in metabolic dysfunction and type 2 diabetes in humans. Researchers accessed data from 104,168 participants in the prospective cohort NutriNet-Santé to investigate the relationship between dietary exposure to nitrites/nitrates and type 2 diabetes risk.
This is the first large-scale cohort study to find a link between nitrites derived from additives and type 2 diabetes risk. It also supports previous findings linking total dietary nitrites to T2D risk.
Srour and Touvier
The NutriNet-Santé study is a web-based cohort study that began in 2009. Participants aged fifteen and up voluntarily enroll and self-report their medical history, sociodemographic information, diet, lifestyle, and major health updates. The researchers analyzed self-reported diet information with health outcomes using detailed nitrite/nitrate exposure derived from multiple databases and sources.
Participants in the NutriNet-Santé cohort who reported a higher intake of nitrites overall, and specifically from food additives and non-additives, had a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to the researchers. There was no link found between nitrates and type 2 diabetes risk, and the findings did not support any potential benefits of dietary nitrites or nitrates in terms of type 2 diabetes prevention.
The study had several limitations, and additional research is needed to validate the findings. Due to the underlying biological challenges, the researchers were unable to confirm specific nitrite/nitrate exposure using biomarkers because the data was self-reported. Furthermore, the cohort’s demographics and behaviors may not be generalizable to the rest of the population; the cohort included a greater number of younger individuals, more often women, who exhibited healthier behaviors. The study’s observational design may have also contributed to residual confounding.
The authors claim “These findings add to current debates about the need for the food industry to reduce the use of nitrite additives in processed meats, and they may support the need for better regulation of fertilizer contamination of soil. Meanwhile, several public health authorities around the world have already advised citizens to limit their consumption of foods containing questionable additives such as sodium nitrite.”
Srour and Touvier go on to say, “This is the first large-scale cohort study to find a link between nitrites derived from additives and type 2 diabetes risk. It also supports previous findings linking total dietary nitrites to T2D risk.”
