Research examining dietary intake in 184 countries found that excess consumption of specific foods — including refined rice and wheat, processed meats, red meat, and fruit juice — contributed to 7 out of 10 type 2 diabetes diagnoses in 2018.
Type 2 diabetes usually impacts middle-aged to older adults and can increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease, vision problems, and kidney disease.
Statistics indicate that over 37 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 90% to 95% of those individuals have type 2 diabetes.
What’s more, reports suggest that the prevalence of diabetes among young people is expected to rise significantly during the next 30 to 40 years.
Still, type 2 diabetes is preventable. For example, research suggests that maintaining a healthy weight, getting adequate exercise, and eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of developing the condition.
However, according to new research published on April 17 in Nature Medicine, diet may be the most critical piece to the diabetes prevention puzzle.
To examine the role that specific dietary factors might play in the global incidence of diabetes, scientists from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University developed a research model of the dietary intake of 184 countries based on 1990 to 2018 data retrieved from the Global Dietary Database.
They also included population demographics, global diabetes incidence data, and information from studies about how food choices impact people with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
After analyzing the data, the team found that over 14.1 million new cases of type 2 diabetes globally in 2018 were attributed to poor diet.
The driving factors for the diagnoses included consuming too much refined rice and wheat, processed meats, unprocessed red meat, potatoes, and fruit juice, and not enough whole grains, yogurt, fruits, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
Still, the study authors note that excess intake of refined rice and wheat and inadequate intake of whole grains may be the top two dietary drivers of type 2 diabetes globally.
Moreover, the scientists found the most significant links between type 2 diabetes and diet in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia — notably Poland and Russia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
In contrast, Nigeria, India, and Ethiopia had the fewest type 2 diabetes cases associated with unhealthy eating.
When the research team evaluated the data by sex, age, education level, and whether people lived in rural or urban areas, they found that the link between poor diet and diabetes was more prominent in men and middle-aged adults. In addition, diet-attributed diabetes cases were higher among people living in urban versus rural areas.
The team also found a higher diet-related diabetes burden among those with more education. However, in high-income countries, Central and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, medium to low education levels were associated with a higher diet-driven diabetes burden.
Overall, all countries showed an increase in type 2 diabetes diagnoses from 1990 to 2018.
In a news release, senior author Dariush Mozaffarian, Jean Mayer Professor of Nutrition at the Friedman School, says, “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."
"These new findings reveal critical areas for national and global focus to improve nutrition and reduce devastating burdens of diabetes," he adds.
The study authors also say these findings underscore the need for multisectoral approaches to improve diet quality across the life span — especially during childhood and the teen years when dietary habits are formed.
Resources:
CDC. Type 2 Diabetes.
NIH. Your Game Plan to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes.
Nature Medicine. Incident type 2 diabetes attributable to suboptimal diet in 184 countries.
NewsWise. Study Links Poor Diet to 14 Million Cases of Type 2 Diabetes Globally.
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