Cutting ham may not save your bacon! Even artificial sweeteners may increase your risk of diabetes

Aug. 29, 2024 - PRLog -- new medical study has captured headlines by suggesting two slices of ham a day can raise type 2 diabetes risk by 15%. However, processed meat is far from being the only cause of the surge in diabetes cases, says a leading expert. One supposedly healthy diet choice could be causing unexpected harm.

New research published in this September's issue of The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology won headlines across the UK for its finding that processed meat and unprocessed red meat are risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. It lead to media reports that the regular daily consumption of 50g of processed meat – equivalent to two slices of ham – is associated with a 15% higher risk of type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years.

However, a leading expert says processed meat is far from being the only culprit behind Britain's diabetes epidemic. Even some supposedly healthy food and drink products may be contributing to the increase in cases.

Dr Avinash Hari Narayanan (MBChB), Clinical Lead at London Medical Laboratory, says: "While fizzy drinks are generally off-limits for Britain's 4.3 million registered diabetics, it's not been thought that diet drinks pose a risk for diabetics or anyone trying to lose weight. However, our analysis of the latest research finds that saccharin and sucralose are likely to increase blood sugar or glucose levels and adversely impact the gut microbiome (the collection of organisms that live in our digestive tracts).

'Researchers at John Hopkins University recently tested random groups of healthy, non-diabetic people and found that participants taking saccharin and sucralose had noticeable spikes in their blood sugar levels. The researchers discovered that these sweeteners were influencing changes in bacteria in the gut and mouth. Changes were also identified in their blood samples.

'Concerningly, it's not just saccharin and sucralose-based sweeteners that are under investigation. Two recent trials reported in "Nutrition Reviews" have shown that consumption of another popular sweetener, aspartame, may affect our body's concentrations of glucose, insulin and a hormone that reduces appetite and releases insulin called "glucagon-like peptide 1".

'London Medical Laboratory's fingerprick HbA1c "Diabetes - Diagnosis and Monitoring" test is considered the gold standard in regular testing. It is used to measure the average level of blood glucose over the past two to three months and both accurately monitor and diagnose diabetes. It can be taken at home through the post or at one of the many drop-in clinics that offer these tests across London and nationwide in over 120 selected pharmacies and health stores. For full details, see: https://www.londonmedicallaboratory.com/product/diabetes-check