A recent study conducted by researchers at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, published in Nature Medicine on January 6, has found that globally, 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular disease are associated with the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages each year.
The impact is particularly pronounced in developing regions. For instance, in Sub-Saharan Africa, the research indicates that over 21% of all new diabetes diagnoses can be linked to the consumption of these beverages. In the regions of Latin America and the Caribbean, the figures are equally alarming, with nearly 24% of new diabetes cases and more than 11% of new cardiovascular disease cases connected to sugary drink consumption.
Specific countries like Colombia, Mexico, and South Africa face severe impacts. In Colombia, nearly half of all new diabetes cases are due to sugary drink consumption. In Mexico, this figure is about one-third, while in South Africa, 27.6% of new diabetes cases and 14.6% of cardiovascular disease cases are related to these beverages.
Consuming sugary beverages leads to rapid digestion and a spike in blood sugar levels, providing little nutritional benefit. Continuous intake can result in weight gain, insulin resistance, and various metabolic problems that contribute to type 2 diabetes and heart disease—two of the leading causes of death globally.
Dariush Mozaffarian, the study’s senior author and director of the Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School, highlights the aggressive marketing and sales strategies of sugar-sweetened beverages in low- and middle-income countries. These communities consume these harmful products in large quantities and lack adequate resources to manage the long-term health repercussions.
As economic conditions improve and incomes increase, sugary drinks become more accessible and appealing, particularly to men and younger adults, who are statistically more likely to suffer the adverse effects of these beverages than women and older individuals, according to the researchers.
Laura Lara-Castor, the paper’s lead author and a recent PhD graduate from the Friedman School, now at the University of Washington, calls for immediate, evidence-based measures to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages worldwide to prevent further loss of life due to diabetes and heart disease.
The authors advocate for a comprehensive strategy that includes public health initiatives, stricter regulations on advertising sugary drinks, and imposing taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. Mexico, for instance, has implemented such a tax since 2014, which has shown promising results in decreasing consumption, especially among the economically disadvantaged.
Mozaffarian stresses the urgent need for further action, particularly in regions like Latin America and Africa, where consumption rates are high and the health consequences are severe. He emphasizes that addressing the global consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is crucial for the health of the human population.
More information: Dariush Mozaffarian et al, Burdens of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages in 184 countries, Nature Medicine. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-03345-4
Journal information: Nature Medicine Provided by Tufts University
