United States: The new results show that millions of new cases of diabetes and heart disease each year may be linked to sugary drinks, but that is not the full picture.
More about the findings
This study by the Tufts University of Boston unveiled that new accounts of type 2 diabetes totaled 2.2 million per year, and cardiovascular diseases were about 1.2 million potentially associated with sugar-sweetened sodas and juices, as stated in the press release.
The results were reported in Nature Medicine this week. The highest rates were associated with Colombia, where 48 percent of new diabetic cases were due to SSBs, and Mexico, where 29 percent of new cases were associated with SSBs, declared the researchers.
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In Latin America, the study identified that perhaps over 24 percent of new diabetes patients could be as a result of SSBs, and in sub-Saharan Africa, the study identified 21 percent of new diabetes patients as a result of SSBs.
Cases of new diabetes
In South Africa, new diabetes is estimated at 27.6 percent, and cardiovascular diseases at 14.6 percent could be linked to sugary drinks.
According to the research team, sugary drinks make blood sugars rise because they are “rapidly digested,” Fox News reported.
Hoping their findings can help inform people about the long-term consumption of these types of drinks, the authors pointed out that these beverages can also contribute to weight gain and the development of insulin resistance other than type 2 diabetes and heart diseases.
According to Professor Dariush Mozaffarian, the study’s senior author, “Sugar-sweetened beverages are heavily marketed and sold in low- and middle-income nations.”
“Not only are these communities consuming harmful products, but they are also often less well-equipped to deal with the long-term health consequences,” he added.
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However, the researchers said, and as news agency SWNS reported, men and young adults may be at a greater risk of negative health impacts from sugary drinks.
New Jersey-based registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, who did not participate in the study, further stated that the result had been anticipated since foods containing added sugars are more likely to raise the likelihood of type 2 diabetes, Fox News reported.
“Sugar-sweetened beverages are a major cause of added sugar in the diet and easy to overconsume, as they provide little fullness,” she added.
Additionally, “The high-calorie content and lack of satisfaction due to little protein, fat or fiber in these drinks can lead to excess calorie consumption, which can lead to weight gain — especially gains in visceral fat (belly fat), which has been found to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes,” she continued.