Sodiq Ojuroungbe
A new study has found that poor diet contributed to over 14.1 million cases of Type 2 diabetes recorded globally.
The study discovered that poor diet that includes insufficient intake of whole grains, excess refined rice and wheat, and overconsumption of processed meat contributed to the increase in Type 2 diabetes.
According to an online health portal, Mayo Clinic, Type 2 diabetes is a condition that happens because of a problem in how the body regulates and uses sugar (glucose) as fuel.
It explained that the long-term condition results in too much sugar circulating in the blood, adding that eventually, high blood sugar levels can lead to disorders of the circulatory, nervous and immune systems.
“In Type 2 diabetes, there are primarily two problems. The pancreas does not produce enough insulin — a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into the cells. And cells respond poorly to insulin and take in less sugar.
“Type 2 diabetes used to be known as adult-onset diabetes, but both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can begin during childhood and adulthood. Type 2 is more common in older adults. But the increase in the number of children with obesity has led to more cases of Type 2 diabetes in younger people,” Mayo Clinic stated.
According to the World Health Organisation, Type 2 diabetes rose dramatically in countries of all income levels in the last three decades.
The global health body also noted that about 1.5 million deaths were directly attributed to diabetes each year, adding that the number of cases and the prevalence of diabetes have steadily increased over the past few decades.
A recent study published in Nature Medicine, a peer-reviewed medical journal, examined data from 1990 and 2018, which offered insightful information on which dietary factors drive the burden of Type 2 diabetes by geographical area.
The researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, developed a research model of dietary intake in 184 countries and found out that poor diet contributed to over 14.1 million cases of Type 2 diabetes in 2018, representing over 70 per cent of new diagnoses globally.
The researchers discovered that out of the 11 dietary factors considered, three had an outsized contribution to the rising global incidence of Type 2 diabetes.
The study also observed that of the 184 countries included in the study, India, Nigeria, and Ethiopia had the fewest case of type 2 diabetes related to unhealthy eating.
The research team based their model on information from the Global Dietary Database, along with population demographics from multiple sources, global Type 2 diabetes incidence estimates, and data on how food choices impact people with obesity and Type 2 diabetes from multiple published papers.
The analysis revealed that poor diet is causing a larger proportion of total Type 2 diabetes incidence in men versus women, in younger versus older adults, and in urban versus rural residents at the global level.
The study discovered that Poland and Russia, where diets tend to be rich in red meat, processed meat, and potatoes had the greatest number of Type 2 diabetes cases linked to diet.
It also was noted that it was high in Latin America and the Caribbean, especially in Colombia and Mexico, which was credited to have high consumption of sugary drinks, processed meat, and low intake of whole grains.
A senior author and Jean Mayer Professor of Nutrition, Dariush Mozaffarian, told Medical Express, “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.”
In her contribution, a PhD candidate at the Friedman School and Impact Director for Food Systems for the Future, Meghan O’Hearn, said diet needs to be monitored to avoid further increase in Type 2 diabetes.
“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 health inequities worldwide.
“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, she said.
On the management of Type 2 diabetes, Mayo Clinic noted that there is no cure.
It, however, suggested, “Losing weight, eating well and exercising can help manage the disease. If diet and exercise aren’t enough to control blood sugar, diabetes medications or insulin therapy may be recommended.
