Diabetes, cases of heart disease are skyrocketing – and scientists point out one key reason
Millions of new cases of diabetes and heart disease sugary drinks cause each year, according to a recently published study.
Tufts University in Boston led a study that found that about 2.2 million new diagnoses type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease are attributed to sugar-sweetened sodas and juices each year, according to a press release.
The findings were published this week in the journal Nature Medicine.
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The highest rates were recorded in Colombia, where 48% of new diabetes cases were linked sweet drinksand in Mexico, where almost a third of cases are attributed to them.
Meanwhile, in Latin America, more than 24% of new cases of diabetes were linked to sugary drinks, and 21% in sub-Saharan Africa, the study found.
About 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease occur each year worldwide due to consumption of sugar-sweetened sodas and juices, according to the findings of a new study. (iStock)
In South Africa, 27.6% of new diabetes cases and 14.6% of cardiovascular disease cases were attributed to sugary drinks.
Sugary drinks are digested quickly, causing a spike in blood sugar with little nutritional value.
Sweetened drinks cause blood sugar to spike because they are “digested quickly,” the research team said.
With long-term consumption, these drinks, in addition to increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, can also lead to weight gain and insulin resistance, the scientists add.
Men are more likely than women to suffer from the effects of sugary drink consumption, as are younger adults compared to their older counterparts, a new study claims. (iStock)
Professor Dariush Mozaffarian, senior author of the study, said in a university press release: “Sugar-sweetened beverages are heavily advertised and sold in low- and middle-income countries.”
He added: “Not only do these communities consume harmful products, they are also often less well equipped to deal with the long-term health consequences.”
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Certain groups are more likely to experience negative health effects from sugary drinks, including men and younger adults, the researchers noted, as reported by the SWNS news agency.
New Jersey dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, who was not involved in the research, said the findings were expected, since the child rich in added sugars are more likely to increase their risk of chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes.
When consumed long-term, these types of drinks can also lead to weight gain and insulin resistance, experts say. (iStock)
“Sugar-sweetened beverages are a major cause of added sugar in the diet and are easy to overdo, as they provide little satiety,” she told Fox News Digital.
“The high calorie content and lack of satisfaction due to the low protein, fat or fiber in these drinks can lead to excessive calorie consumption, which can lead to weight gain — especially an increase in visceral fat (abdominal fat), which has been found to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes “, she continued.
“Sugar-sweetened beverages are easy to overeat because they provide little satiety.”
Palinski-Wade noted that there are some limitations to the new research.
“This was it observational studynot a causality study, and only shows an association between a diet containing sugar-sweetened beverages and diabetes,” she noted.
“It doesn’t prove that these drinks themselves cause type 2 diabetes.”
What needs to be changed?
To address the problem, the study authors called for a “multi-pronged approach,” including public health campaigns, advertising regulations and taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, the statement said.
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“We need urgent evidence-based interventions curb consumption sugar-sweetened beverages worldwide, before even more lives are shortened by their effects on diabetes and heart disease,” first author Laura Lara-Castor, now at the University of Washington, said in a statement.
Approximately 65% of US adults consume sugar-sweetened beverages on a daily basis. (iStock)
Mexico introduced a tax on sugary drinks in 2014, which has proven effective in reducing consumption, the researchers said.
“Much more needs to be done, especially in countries in Latin America and Africa, where consumption is high and health consequences are serious,” Mozaffarian wrote.
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“As a species, we have to address it a drink sweetened with sugar consumption.”
Many different factors are involved in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, Palinski-Wade noted.
“As a species, we need to address the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.”
“However, reducing the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages can go a long way toward improving overall blood sugar regulation and future health.”
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The new research was supported by the Gates Foundation, the American Heart Association and Mexico’s National Council for Science and Technology.
Fox News Digital has reached out to researchers for additional comment.
