STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Not having enough whole grains or having too much refined rice, wheat or processed meat is linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.
Tufts University researchers parsed through international surveys, Global Dietary Database figures, global type 2 diabetes incidence estimates and other sources to assess the impact of 11 dietary factors on the diagnosis of the disease.
The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, found over 14 million cases of type 2 diabetes in 2018 — representing over 70% of new diagnoses globally — were attributed to poor diet.
Insufficient whole grain intake, and excesses of refined rice, wheat and processed meat had the greatest contribution, the researchers said, with other factors like drinking too much fruit juice, or not eating enough non-starchy vegetables, nuts and seeds having lesser, but still noticeable, impacts.
“Our study suggests poor carbohydrate quality is a leading driver of diet-attributable type 2 diabetes globally, and with important variation by nation and over time,” Dariush Mozaffarian, a Tufts University professor and senior author of the study, said in a release. “These new findings reveal critical areas for national and global focus to improve nutrition and reduce devastating burdens of diabetes.”
Type 2 diabetes is a condition that occurs because the body is unable to properly regulate insulin, causing blood sugar rises that can be dangerous and cause other serious health issues. Around 37 million Americans have diabetes in the United States and about nine-in-10 have type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The latest study included 184 countries and observed type 2 diabetes increases across each of them between 1990 and 2018. The number of adults with diabetes between 1980 and 2021 jumped from 108 million to 537 million, the researchers said, and that rise has correlated to stark increases in obesity rates.
Since the end of the study, separate research has found COVID-19 infection increases the risk for development of diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes diagnoses related to poor diet were found to be caused more frequently among men compared to women and younger adults compared to older adults, the study said.
“Left unchecked and with incidence only projected to rise, type 2 diabetes will continue to impact population health, economic productivity, health care system capacity, and drive heath inequities worldwide,” said Meghan O’Hearn, a first author of the study and impact director for the nonprofit Food Systems for the Future, in the release.
“These findings can help inform nutritional priorities for clinicians, policymakers, and private sector actors as they encourage healthier dietary choices that address this global epidemic,” said O’Hearn.
People 45 and older are at greatest risk to develop diabetes; however, health experts warn a trend among younger individuals is a cause of major concern.
The CDC said the number of young people under 20 years old in the U.S. with diabetes is likely to rise in the upcoming decades, with as many as 220,000 diagnoses among the age group by 2060 — a nearly 700% increase.
Even if the rate of new diagnoses remain the same for younger people over the next few decades, type 2 diagnoses could increase nearly 70% by 2060, the CDC said.