“A real epidemic”, this bad habit causes millions of cases of diabetes each year

The number of cases of diabetes increases every year around the world, and France is not spared. Our diet is one of the main causes.

Diabetes is a true global scourge. 830 million people would be affected by it in 2022, compared to 200 million in 1990, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Every year, around 2 million people die from it worldwide. France is not spared: more than 4 million French people are affected, with a prevalence that increases from year to year. “This sharp increase in cases of diabetes allows us to affirm that we are facing a real epidemic,” even affirms the French Federation of Diabetics.

But how can we explain this phenomenon? Type 2 diabetes, which represents the majority of cases of diabetes, is linked to genetic factors, but also environmental (and therefore modifiable): unbalanced diet, lack of sport, sedentary lifestyle, overweight, smoking, etc.

Regarding diet, an American study published in the journal Nature Medicine revealed that more than 2 million new cases of diabetes are caused each year… only because of sugary drinks: sodas of course, but also fruit juices which also contain a lot of sugar. The problem with these drinks is that they quickly consume a lot of sugar and calories, with no nutritional benefit and no feeling of satiety. They are therefore the cause of almost 10% of cases of diabetes worldwide. Developing countries are particularly concerned: these drinks are the cause of almost half of new cases of diabetes in Colombia, almost a third in Mexico, and 21% in sub-Saharan Africa.

Diabetes is not the only consequence of the consumption of sugary drinks, since the study also reveals that they are the cause of more than a million cases of cardiovascular diseases each year. In South Africa, for example, nearly 15% of cases of cardiovascular disease are attributable to sugary drinks.

These drinks have been singled out for many years because of their harmful effects on health. The authors of the study call for “urgent interventions to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks worldwide, before more lives are cut short by their effects on diabetes and heart disease,” said in a press release. Dr Laura Lara-Castor, author of the study.

Especially since the consumption of sugary drinks is increasing around the world: + 16% since 1990, according to work published in 2023 by the team of American researchers. Faced with these health risks, it is recommended, at least in France, to limit the consumption of sugary drinks as much as possible, and not to exceed one glass per day.