According to Tufts University in the United States on the 8th, a research team led by Professor Darish Mojafarian of the university obtained this result by analyzing data on sugar-added beverage intake and diabetes and obesity rates and estimating the burden of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in 184 countries around the world in 2020. Looking closely at the results of the study, more than 2.2 million cases of diabetes and 1.2 million cases of cardiovascular disease occurred in 2020 due to heavy consumption of sugary drinks. This is equivalent to 9.8% of all new diabetes and 3.1% of cardiovascular diseases.
Diabetes and cardiovascular disease have increased significantly in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. In sub-Saharan Africa, sugary drink consumption accounted for more than 21% of new diabetes cases, and in Latin America and the Caribbean, more than 24%. By country, the incidence of diabetes from sugary drinks was in the order of Colombia (48.1%), Mexico (30%), and South Africa (27.6%). The incidence was higher in young people than in old age and in men than in women.
Sugar-added drinks rapidly increase blood sugar levels as they are rapidly metabolized in the body. Excessive and steady consumption of sugary drinks results in an increase in insulin resistance. Insulin transports glucose, an energy source, to each cell in the body. Insulin does not function properly when resistance increases. In this case, diabetes occurs if the pancreas cannot bear the burden due to increased insulin requirements. Type 2 diabetes, caused by excessive consumption of sugary drinks, is one of the leading causes of death in modern people.
Professor Mojafarian said, “Sugar-added drinks are especially popular in underdeveloped and developing countries, and people in these countries consume a lot of harmful products (such as sugar-added drinks) and are often less prepared for long-term health care.” Laura Lara-Castor, a member of the University of Washington in the U.S., who also participated in the study, said, “The effects of sugar-added drinks on diabetes are obvious, and many countries around the world need to intervene before more people harm their health.”
The findings were published in Nature Medicine, a prestigious journal in the field of global medical science.
SALLY LEE
US ASIA JOURNAL
