Nutritionists have long warned us of health risks from ultra-processed foods. New research suggests they pose unique dangers to people with type 2 diabetes. While ultra-processed foods are typically higher in added sugars and sodium—not good for diabetes—they may also contain synthetic flavors, added colors, emulsifiers and other artificial ingredients that also may be partly to blame. In this study, at the University of Texas at Austin, type 2 diabetics who were not on insulin and consumed ten percent of their overall food as ultra-processed had an extra quarter of a point added to levels of HbA1C, while those with ten percent higher amount of minimally or unprocessed food tended to have A1C levels averaging one-third of a point less.