Work

Ultra-processed food intake and postprandial glycemic responses in healthy Korean young adults

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background The burden of type 2 diabetes is growing among young Korean adults, alongside increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF). However, the effects of UPF intake on postprandial glycemic responses in this population remain unclear. Methods This study analyzed 10-day continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data from 10 healthy Korean young adults (aged 20–39 years) with high UPF intake (≥25% of daily energy). UPF intake was defined using the NOVA classification from 10-day diet records. Mean daily UPF intake was quantified in percentage of weight intake and energy intake, separately, then categorized into tertiles. Postprandial glycemic responses were evaluated using 2-hour incremental area under the curve (iAUC) and secondary outcomes included glycemic variability [standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV)] and time-in-range metrics [time in range (70-180 mg/dL), time in tight range (70-140 mg/dL), time below range (<70 mg/dL)]. Linear mixed-effects models were performed on daily-level CGM data with adjustment for potential confounders. Results When UPF tertiles were defined based on weight ratio, participants in the highest UPF intake tertile had significantly higher daily mean iAUC than the lowest tertile after adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic factors, and BMI (β = 840.4, 95% CI: 12.3 to 1668.4, p = 0.047). In the analysis based on energy ratio, UPF intake showed a similar upward trend in iAUC, although it did not reach statistical significance. Higher UPF intake was significantly associated with increased SD of glucose (β = 3.33, 95% CI: 0.17 to 6.49, p = 0.040), whereas time-in-range metrics showed statistically non-significant associations. Conclusions Higher UPF consumption was associated with greater postprandial glycemic responses in healthy Korean young adults. These findings suggest that high UPF intake adversely affects glycemic health and should be considered in diabetes prevention in young adults. Key messages • UPF consumption is associated with higher postprandial glucose excursions and glycemic variability in healthy young adults, highlighting UPF intake as a modifiable target for glycemic risk reduction. • These findings underscore the need to incorporate UPF intake assessment into diabetes prevention strategies targeting young adults.

Source: European Journal of Public Health

DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1318