According to a recent study published in Nature Medicine, approximately 14 million cases of type 2 diabetes were caused by poor diet.
Diets that lacked whole grains or contained too much refined rice, wheat, or processed meats were linked to disease.
Those that included overconsumption of fruit juice or insufficient amounts of non-starchy vegetables, nuts, or seeds also had some impact on diagnoses, but not as much.
Rising cases of type 2 diabetes represent “a growing burden on individuals, families and healthcare systems,” a press release noted.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, which interferes with the body’s ability to regulate and use sugar for fuel.
More than 37 million Americans – about 1 in 10 – already have incurable diabetes, making it the seventh leading cause of death in the country.
In the new study, researchers from Tufts University analyzed the diets of 184 countries around the world using data from 1990 and 2018, revealing that more than 70% of new diagnoses in 2018 were believed to have been caused by unhealthy eating habits.
Of the 184 countries included in the study, all reported an increase in type 2 diabetes over the nearly 30 years analyzed.
There is no cure for diabetes, but a myriad of lifestyle changes recommended to help manage the disease, such as losing weight, exercising and eating well.
The research focused on 11 dietary factors and found that three had a disturbing influence on the rise in diabetes diagnoses.
“Our study suggests that poor carbohydrate quality is a major driver of diet-attributable type 2 diabetes globally, and with significant variation across countries and over time,” the study said. lead author Dariush Mozaffarian.
“These new findings reveal critical areas for national and global attention to improve nutrition and reduce the devastating burden of diabetes.”
The analysis also found that poor diet results in a higher proportion of males to females, younger adults to older adults, and urban residents to rural ones being diagnosed with the chronic disease.
Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia have the highest rates of diet-related type 2 diabetes.
The researchers noted that this was likely due to data from countries such as Poland and Russia, where diets incorporated large amounts of red meat, processed meat and potatoes.
“If nothing is done and the incidence is only expected to increase, type 2 diabetes will continue to impact population health, economic productivity, health system capacity and create health inequalities around the world,” said study author Meghan O’Hearn.
“These results can help inform the nutrition priorities of clinicians, policy makers and private sector actors as they encourage healthier dietary choices that combat this global epidemic.”
This informative study comes as experts warn that cases of type 2 diabetes are on track to rise by 700% among young Americans.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health have alerted the public that the number of young Americans with type 2 diabetes is expected to skyrocket nearly 700% by 2060 if rising trends current rises continue unchecked.
