This is revealed by new research published in Nature Medicine which examined eating habits in 184 countries.
Poor diet causes over 14.1 million cases of type 2 diabetes each year, ie more than 70% of new diagnoses globally. This is revealed by new research published in Nature Medicine which examined eating habits in 184 countries, from which emerge dietary factors responsible for the most widespread form of diabetes. The analysis, which was based on the data collected between 1990 and 2018highlighted how all 184 countries included in the survey recorded an increase in cases of diabetes during the study periodhighlighting the global seriousness of the problem, which corresponds to an increase in associated health conditions, such as obesity and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Of the eleven different dietary factors assessed by the researchers, three in particular were found to be the most significant: not enough whole grains, too much refined rice and wheat, and too much processed meat. Other factors, such as not eating enough nuts or seeds, or non-starchy vegetables, appeared to have less of an impact on new cases of the disease. “Our study suggests that poor quality carbohydrates are one of the leading causes of type 2 diabetes attributable to diet globally and with important variations by country and over time said senior author Dariush Mozaffarian, Jean Mayer Professor in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. QThese new findings reveal critical areas for national and global attention to improve nutrition and reduce the devastating burden of diabetes“.
Proportional burden of type 2 diabetes attributable to suboptimal diet jointly and for each individual dietary factor globally in 2018 / Credit: Nature Medicine
What is type 2 diabetes and how does diet affect it
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by the resistance of the body’s cells to insulin, a hormone essential for maintaining normal blood glucose levels. Estimates show that, over the past forty years, the number of people with diabetes has risen from around 100 million to more than 500 million worldwide, placing a growing burden on individuals, families and healthcare systems.
These are the most preventable deaths caused by common mistakes, according to a forensic pathologist
During the study period, Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asiaparticularly in Poland and Russia, where diets tend to be high in red meat, processed meat and potatoes, recorded the highest number of cases of type 2 diabetes related to diet. The incidence was also high in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly in Colombia and Mexico, where metabolic disease has been attributed to the high consumption of sugary drinks, processed meat and low consumption of whole grains.
Conversely, regions where diet had the least impact on type 2 diabetes cases include South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, although the largest increases related to poor diet were observed in sub-Saharan Africa. Among the 30 most populous countries surveyed, India, Nigeria and Ethiopia had the fewest cases of type 2 diabetes linked to unhealthy diets.
The analysis also revealed that poor diet is more clearly linked to cases of diabetes in men than in womenand appears to have a greater impact in younger than older people and in urban rather than rural areas.
Seven out of 10 cases caused by poor diet
From the survey, which drew on data from the Global Dietary Database, along with population demographics from multiple sources, global estimates on the incidence of type 2 diabetes, and data on how food choices impact people living with obesity and type 2 diabetes, it also found that, compared to other recent studies – whose estimates indicated that about four in 10 cases of type 2 diabetes are attributable to suboptimal diet – poor diet is responsible of seven out of 10 cases of type 2 diabetestherefore by a much higher percentage than hitherto assumed.
According to the research team, led by Meghan O’Hearn, who conducted the research while a PhD student at the Friedman School and currently works as the Impact Director for the Food Systems for the Future institute, that gap can be attributed to the new information used for the analysis, including consumption of refined grains, which has been a major contributor to the burden of diabetes. “These findings may help inform nutrition priorities for clinicians, policy makers and private sector actors, as they encourage healthier dietary choices that counteract this global epidemic. – specified O’Hearn – . If uncontrolled and with an expected increasing incidence, type 2 diabetes will continue to impact the health of the populationon economic productivity, on the capacity of the health system, as well as determining health inequalities throughout the worldo”.