Most cases of type 2 diabetes can be linked to making poor food choices, a new study finds.
Researchers from Tufts University in Boston linked poor diet to 14 million cases of type 2 diabetes — about 70% of new diagnoses globally — in 2018.
The biggest impact came from insufficient intake of whole grains, too much refined rice and wheat, and over consumption of processed meat.
“Our study suggests poor carbohydrate quality is a leading driver of diet-attributable type 2 diabetes globally" said Study Author, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian. Poor diet is causing a larger proportion of total type 2 diabetes incidence in men versus women, in younger versus older adults and in urban versus rural residents, according to the research.
Other dietary factors, such as drinking too much sweetened fruit juice, potato chips/fries and not eating enough non-starchy vegetables, nuts or seeds, also had some impact on new cases of T2D.
