Sugary drinks are responsible for more than 2.2 million new cases of diabetes and 1.1 million new cases of heart disease per year worldwide, according to a new study.
A global analysis recently published in the magazine “Nature Medicine” highlights growing health inequalities internationally. In Latin America and the Caribbean, sugary drinks contributed to almost a quarter (24%) of new cases of type 2 diabetes in 2020.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the region that saw the largest percentage increase in cases between 1990 and 2020, sugary drinks led to more than one in five new cases of diabetes (21%) and more than one new case of the disease heart rate in ten (11%).
-Sugary drinks are quickly digested, leading to high blood sugar levels and low nutritional value. Consuming them regularly over time leads to weight gain, insulin resistance, and a host of metabolic problems linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 830 million people worldwide have diabetes, with the majority living in low- and middle-income countries. Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes can be prevented. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming approximately 17.9 million lives each year. More than three-quarters of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
