There are researchers from the USA who have studied the eating habits of people in 184 countries. The analysis is based on figures and data from 1990–2018. And during these 28 years, millions of people worldwide will have developed the disease as a result of poor diet. The completed work has led to a large study, which was recently published in the journal Nature Medicine. Altogether, the researchers have assessed eleven different dietary factors. And three of these in particular must be decisive for the development of the disease. Food to watch out for The results show, among other things, that these are foods you should eat less of: Red meat Processed meat Refined carbohydrates, such as white rice and wheat Fruit juice But rather eat more of this: Whole grains Legumes Vegetables without starch Nuts and seeds – On on a global level, we estimated that 7 out of 10 cases of this disease are due to poor diet. In certain nations the figures are even higher. If nothing is done about the situation, the incidence will only increase. This is what the first author of the study, Meghan O’Hearn, tells news. She goes on to say that Norway is one of the countries that was examined in the new research. Meghan O’Hearn is a research fellow at Tufts University in the USA. Photo: Tufts University Norwegians eat too much meat In our bodies we have a hormone called insulin. This enables us to convert the sugar we eat into energy. When you have type 2 diabetes, the insulin does not work as it should, and you get high blood sugar because much of the sugar remains in the blood. According to figures, approximately 240,000 people in Norway have this lifestyle disease. In addition, it is expected that some people live with the disease without being aware of it. In addition to poor diet, obesity, inactivity, smoking and alcohol can trigger the disease. Heredity is also crucial. If you have a mother or father with type 2 diabetes, you yourself have approximately a 40 percent chance of developing the disease during your lifetime. The results of the new study show that in Norway in 1990 it was estimated that 64.9 per cent of cases of the disease were due to poor diet. In 2018, this figure had risen to 75.1 per cent. And the reason for this? We eat too much red and processed meat, say the researchers. In addition, we Norwegians have an insufficient intake of whole grains. Normally, the concentration of glucose in the blood is between 4 and 6 mmol/litre. 5.1 is within the normal range. Photo: Tariq Alisubh/news – Surprisingly tall Anne-Marie Aas is a clinical nutritionist. She also sits on the Diabetes Association’s medical professional council. She believes the new study is solid, and that the findings are interesting. The fact that as many as 7 out of 10 cases are due to diet is surprising. – It is well known that overweight and obesity increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in people who are genetically predisposed to the disease. Nevertheless, I think this was surprisingly high, says Aas to news. She goes on to say that the researchers have done a great job, but that there are still a number of assumptions that one cannot be completely sure of. – The main message is nevertheless that it is not just obesity that is the problem and that we should focus on the quality of what we eat, not just the calorie content. And now researchers have recently both finalized and published new dietary advice for diabetics. Anne-Marie Aas believes the figures from Norway reflect the increase in obesity in the population, as well as increased meat consumption. Photo: Erik M. Sundt New dietary advice for diabetics A large group of researchers from all over Europe, Canada and New Zealand has carried out a thorough review of everything that has been done by research in this field, says Aas. And on the basis of this work several recommendations have been arrived at: Dietary advice for the prevention and treatment of diabetes In summary, these are the most important dietary advice for preventing and treating diabetes: If you are overweight, weight reduction will be the most important and most effective measure you can take. It can prevent diabetes and actually also enable you to achieve remission of type 2 diabetes, i.e. to get normal blood sugar without the use of blood sugar-lowering drugs. A number of foods and dietary patterns are suitable for diabetes treatment and the dietary guidelines largely coincide with the Norwegian dietary guidelines for the general population. The diet should mainly consist of plant-based foods such as whole grain products, vegetables, whole fruit, legumes, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils. At the same time, the intake of red and processed meat, salt, sugary drinks and refined grain products is reduced to a minimum. You can read more about the recommendations here. Excessive consumption of both red and processed meat is a problem when it comes to the development of type 2 diabetes. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix Worst among men and young adults The new study was based, among other things, on data from the Global Dietary Database. This is a collaboration across countries to best collect information about people’s diets worldwide. The results of the study also showed that a poor diet causes a greater proportion of type 2 diabetes among men than among women. The same is true for young people compared to those who are older. Researcher Meghan O’Hearn believes this should be a wake-up call. – These findings should be a wake-up call for professionals, decision-makers and other actors. The availability and affordability of nutritious food should be increased, she says. In a brand new series on news, Else Kåss Furuseth tries to find out why the number on the bathroom scale goes up every year. She wants to become healthier, and is at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, among other things.
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New study links poor diet to 14 million cases of type 2 diabetes – news Trøndelag
