Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41214830›Full record

ArticleNutrition & metabolism2025

Ultra-processed food intake is associated with altered glucose homeostasis in young adults with a history of overweight or obesity: a longitudinal study.

Yiping Li, Elizabeth Costello, Sarah Rock, William B Patterson, Zhanghua Chen, Frank Gilliland, Michael I Goran, Tanya L Alderete, Jesse A Goodrich, David V Conti and 2 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Nutrition & metabolism, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Yiping LiDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. yiping.li.gr@dartmouth.edu.
Elizabeth CostelloDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Sarah RockDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
William B PattersonDepartment of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA.
Zhanghua ChenDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Frank GillilandDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Michael I GoranDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Tanya L AldereteDepartment of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Jesse A GoodrichDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
David V ContiDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Nikos StratakisBarcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain.
Leda ChatziDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Funding

Southern California Superfund Research and Training Program for PFAS Assessment, Remediation, and Prevention (ShARP)P42ES036506 · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · 2025 to 2025
$1.6M
NIDDK NIH HHS F31 DK134198NIEHS NIH HHS P42 ES036506
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUltra-processed foods (UPFs), often high in sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats, compose more than half of total dietary energy consumption in the United States. A diet composed of a high amount of UPFs can contribute to glucose dysregulation and insulin resistance, which may lead to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, few studies have assessed the associations between UPFs and T2D or obesity in young people. The goal of this study is to examine associations between UPF consumption and prediabetes and related biomarkers in youth.

methodsYoung adults (age 17-22, n = 85) with a history of overweight or obesity from the Metabolic and Asthma Incidence Research (Meta-AIR) study, a subset of the Children's Health Study, were enrolled between 2014 and 2018 and returned for a second visit between 2020 and 2022. Participants completed two 24-hour dietary recalls and an oral glucose tolerance test at each visit. Food items were categorized as either an UPF or non-UPF according to NOVA classification guidelines. The proportion of the diet composed of UPFs was calculated for each participant. Regression models were used to assess relationships of UPF consumption at baseline and change between visits with markers of glucose homeostasis at follow-up, adjusting for demographics, physical activity, and total energy intake.

resultsA 10%-point increase in UPF consumption between visits was associated with a 51% (OR: 1.51, 95% Cl: 1.04, 2.31) higher odds of having prediabetes and 158% (OR: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.43, 5.85) higher odds of impaired glucose tolerance at follow-up. Higher baseline UPF consumption was significantly positively associated with 2-hour insulin ([Formula: see text] = 45.11, 95% CI: 22.42, 67.80) and insulin area under the curve ([Formula: see text] = 63.56, 95% CI: 34.95, 92.17) at follow-up.

conclusionUPF consumption may increase the risk for T2D among young adults. Our findings suggest that limiting UPF consumption could be an important strategy for T2D prevention in this population.

Indexed as

Body compositionPrediabetesType 2 diabetesUltra-processed foodYoung adults

Identifiers

PMID41214830
PMCPMC12604416

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.