Hello and welcome to this book on Ultra-Processed Food and Diabetes.

There is increasing evidence of the impact of Ultra-processed foods on multiple metabolic and neurobiological pathways, including those involved in eating behaviors, both in animals and in humans.[1]

For people on the run, ultra processed food may become their go-to diet, sacrificing nutrition for convenience. While it may be convenient, consuming ultraprocessed foods on a regular basis increases a person’s risk of health complications including cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. But it can be hard to tell when these foods are on your plate.[2]

A diet based on packaged products involves the consumption of small and repeated doses of food additives. At the end of the year, an average French adult ingests up to 10 kg. The calculation is worked out by French researchers in a study published in Scientific Reports[3]. [4]

As we replace whole foods with manufactured processed versions, we’re changing ourselves.

· Watch the BBC video on YouTube – “UK doctor switches to 80% ULTRA-processed food diet for 30 days.” - https://youtu.be/T4PFt4czJw0

This short video documents a UK doctor’s 30-day diet switch to highly processed food. The commentary on his eating habits and the foods he consumes is illuminating. In the 30-day period, he gained weight and his body deteriorated significantly. Before and after MRI scans of his brain were compared revealing new connections in his brain, similar to those of people with addiction.

It’s time to dive into the world of Ultra-processed foods and uncover how they can cause inflammation in our bodies, impacting our health in the short and long term.

Mark Ashford - information@markaashford.com

[1] Agnes Ayton M.D. M.Med.Sc. F.R.C.Psych M.Sc Ali Ibrahim M.B.B.S. M.R.C. Psych James Dugan B.M.B.Ch B.Sc Ph.D. Eimear Galvin B.Sc. Oliver Wroe Wright M.B.B.S. B.Sc. (Hons) M.R.C.S., "Ultra-Processed Foods and Binge Eating: A Retrospective Observational Study," (2021).

[2] MS Sara Berg, "What Doctors Wish Patients Knew About Ultraprocessed Foods," (2024).

[3] E. Chazelas, Druesne-Pecollo, N., Esseddik, Y. et al. Exposure to food additive mixtures in 106,000 French adults from the NutriNet-Santé cohort. Sci Rep 11, 19680 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98496-6, "Exposure to Food Additive Mixtures in 106,000 French Adults from the Nutrinet-Santé Cohort," (2021).

[4] Marta Strinati, "Food Additives, We Ingest up to 10 Kg a Year. French Study," (2021).

Hello and welcome to my book How to Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes.

This book has been a learning journey. I’ve met diabetics who, after diagnosis, treat it as a medication-managed condition. I’ve always abhorred medication. The human body is amazing, and we can achieve so much in our short lives if we help and respect it. I was determined to lean about my condition, and the Life Style changes to help me manage it and make me medication-free. Chronic illnesses, which typically appear later in life, significantly impact life expectancy.

· A 55-year-old Canadian male, with no chronic medical conditions, has a projected life expectancy of an additional 23.3 years.

· A 55-year-old Canadian male, Type 2 Diabetic, who does not manage their condition well and makes no Lifestyle changes, may have as little as 13.2 years left to live.

· A 55-year-old Canadian male, Type 2 Diabetic, who manages their condition well and makes the life changes required, has a life expectancy can be 21.1 years.

This book is the 19th in a series of books I have written on Diabetes and specific aspects of the condition. It brings together information found in my other 18 books on Preventing and Reversing Naturally Type 2 Diabetes.

Combining what I have learned revealed something surprising. My Type 2 Diabetes was self-inflicted and preventable. What can reverse it and the need for medications can also prevent it.

Understanding its cause requires a different perspective on life. A recent study from the University of Cambridge[1] reveals habits learned in the young adult years (16-30 years) set the stage for chronic conditions in later years and contributed to my diagnosis.

Preventing chronic health conditions involves changing our life view from early teens and recognizing behaviors that lead to them. Medical screening should focus on tracking indicators of these behaviors. Reversing Type 2 Diabetes requires changing behaviors and habits that cause the diagnosis. Increasing personal health knowledge and making lifestyle changes to reduce medication dependency are essential.

I hope you enjoy and find this book contributes to your understanding of your body, the way it works and how you can influence your long-term health.

Mark Ashford

information@markaashford.com

[1] Ibid.

This book has been quite a learning journey. From the discovery of Insulin to how the body is designed to maintain homeostasis and what has happened over the past 25 years, I can see how becoming a Type 2 Diabetic was almost inevitable.

Homeostasis depends on active regulation, with dynamic adjustments that keep the environment of your cells and tissues relatively constant. The brain is part of many homeostatic systems, providing signals that coordinate your body’s internal clocks and regulating hormone secretion by the endocrine system. These functions often involve a region of the forebrain called the hypothalamus, a command centre that regulates the activities of internal organs, among many other functions.

Today, we often eat five or six times a day. The quality is just not there. The food is highly processed, refined carbohydrates, and sugar. Both forms convert quickly into glucose in the blood. The combination of stress released glucose and glucose from multiple meals of poor-quality results in the cells being constantly abused by Insulin trying to unlock them to absorb the energy source. They become insulin Resistant, which is a hall mark of PreDiabetes and Type 2 Diabetes.

I can now see how over the past 25 years stress and nutrition have contributed to my becoming a Type 2 Diabetic. It is clear how even small things, which seemed a good idea at the time, have contributed to where I am now.