3 dietary habits that increase diabetes risk, found in diets from 184 countries around the world
2023.05.01
Even if you have not been diagnosed with diabetes, many of you are concerned about having found high blood sugar levels and high HbA1c (hemoglobin A1c) in health checkups.
A research result that those people wanted to know has been published.
A survey of diets in 184 countries around the world found that three types of unhealthy diets increased the risk of diabetes.
70% of diabetes is caused by diet
In 2018, more than 14.1 million cases of type 2 diabetes were linked to inappropriate diets, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Tufts University School of Nutrition,
Science and Policy in the United States, examining diets in 184 countries. It is presumed that this is the cause. This accounts for more than 70% of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.
What are the 3 characteristics of an “unhealthy diet” that increase the risk of diabetes?
“Then what is an ‘inappropriate diet’?”
The study found three major contributors to the rising global incidence of type 2 diabetes:
1 Inadequate intake of whole grains
2 Excessive consumption of polished rice and wheat
3 Overconsumption of processed meat
Professor Dariush Mozaffarin of Tufts University, who conducted the study, said, “This suggests that poor quality carbohydrates are the main cause of diet-induced type 2 diabetes.” That means you’re eating too many refined grains like white rice and wheat, and not enough whole grains. Whole grains contain more nutrients such as fiber, minerals and vitamins than refined grains.
On the other hand, the study found that drinking too much fruit juice, eating too many starchy vegetables, and not eating enough nuts and seeds didn’t have a significant impact on the development of type 2 diabetes.
1 in 5 men have diabetes
The study compares 1990 and 2018 data from the Global Dietary Database, and all 184 countries had an increase in type 2 diabetes between 1990 and 2018.
The number of diabetes patients is increasing in Japan as well. According to the 2019 National Health and Nutrition Survey, diabetes is strongly suspected in 1 in 5 adult males and 1 in 9 females.
The scary thing about diabetes is that if it becomes severe, it can cause various diseases such as kidney disease, neuropathy, and retinopathy.
For prevention, why not start by reviewing your carbohydrate intake, such as by replacing white rice with brown rice and white bread with rye bread? As for protein, try to limit processed meats such as ham, bacon, and sausages as much as possible.
◎ Reference
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02278-8
https://now.tufts.edu/2023/04/17/study-links-poor-diet-14-million-cases-type-2-diabetes-globally