A recent global analysis has found that sugary drinks are responsible for over 2.2 million new cases of type 2 diabetes and 1.2 million new cases of cardiovascular diseases worldwide each year. The study, analyzing data from 184 countries, was published on Monday in the medical journal Nature Medicine.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, sugary drinks were associated with the development of 24% of all cases of diabetes and 11% of all cases of heart disease, The Guardian reported. In Colombia, sugary drinks are responsible for nearly half (48%) of all new cases of diabetes, The Guardian reported. Mexico, which has one of the highest rates of sugary drink consumption in the world, sees sugary drinks accounting for one-third (30%) of all new cases of diabetes.
"Sugar-sweetened beverages are heavily marketed and sold in low and middle income nations. Not only are these communities consuming harmful products, but they are also often less well equipped to deal with the long-term health consequences," said Dariush Mozaffarian, director of the Food Is Medicine Institute. "There is an urgent need to seriously confront this phenomenon, especially in regions like Latin America and Africa, where consumption remains high and the health consequences are severe," he added.
The researchers found that between 1990 and 2020, the greatest increase in the proportion of diabetes and cardiovascular disease cases attributable to sugary soft drink consumption occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this region, sugary drinks led to more than one-fifth (21%) of new diabetes cases and more than one-tenth (11%) of new heart disease cases, The Guardian reported. In South Africa specifically, sugary drinks contribute to 27.6% of new diabetes cases and 14.6% of cardiovascular disease cases.
Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages leads to long-term weight gain, insulin resistance, and metabolic problems associated with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, causing 3.4 million new cases annually worldwide. Sugary drinks cause a rapid increase in blood sugar levels due to their quick absorption, while their nutritional value is low, Mirror reported.
Young men are particularly impacted by the consumption of sugary beverages, with more males than females affected. The burden of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease attributable to sugary beverage consumption is greater in men than in women, Mirror reported. In urban centers, young people are targeted by social media influencers who are paid to promote sugary drinks, filling an information gap left by the lack of nutritional education in schools.
"We need urgent, evidence-based interventions to curb sugary beverage consumption globally, before more lives are shortened by their effects on diabetes and cardiovascular disease," stated Laura Lara-Castor.
Mexico introduced a tax on sugary drinks in 2014, leading to a decrease in consumption, particularly among lower-income individuals, and showing promising results. The study proposes taxation of sweetened beverages to reduce their consumption globally, aiming to increase the price by at least 20%, with more than 100 countries already setting limits on excessive sugar consumption through soda taxes, Blick reported.
Since the introduction of the soda tax in Great Britain, not only has consumption decreased, but manufacturers have also reduced the sugar content in drinks significantly. Foodwatch has long been advocating for a "soda tax" based on the British model, which already exists in many countries, including the UK since 2018.
According to the World Health Organization, about 830 million people worldwide have diabetes, the majority living in low- and middle-income countries. Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death globally, with cardiovascular diseases claiming approximately 17.9 million lives each year.
The analysis emphasizes the need for targeted interventions that account for social inequalities and align with global health objectives, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where more than three-quarters of cardiovascular disease deaths occur, The Guardian reported. "Our findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions that take into account social inequalities and align with global health goals," the researchers stated, according to El Mundo.
The scientists believe that a broader approach to the problem, with the promotion of public health campaigns, regulation of sugary beverage advertising, and taxes on these sugar-sweetened products, is an option to combat the problems these foods cause in the body, Correio Braziliense reported. Numerous previous studies had pointed out the link between sugary soft drinks and a higher risk of developing heart problems and metabolic diseases, El Mundo reported.
The study attributes 9.8% of global cases of metabolic disorder and 3.1% of heart problems in 184 countries to the intake of sugary beverages, El Mundo reported. In addition to contributing to weight gain, rapid doses of glucose from sugary beverages are related to metabolic disorders, such as insulin resistance, El Mundo reported.
The researchers conclude, "Although in some countries policies have already been implemented to curb sugary beverage intake, our study suggests that there is more work to be done. By identifying the most affected countries and subpopulations, our research can be useful in shaping effective policies and interventions that ultimately reduce the cardiometabolic burden of sugary beverages globally," according to El Mundo.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.