Sugary drinks are responsible for over 2.2 million new cases of diabetes and 1.1 million new heart disease cases annually worldwide, a new study reveals.

The global analysis, published in Nature Medicine on Monday, underscores increasing health disparities.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, sugary beverages accounted for nearly a quarter (24%) of new type 2 diabetes cases in 2020.

Sub-Saharan Africa, which has seen the highest rise in cases from 1990 to 2020, had sugary drinks contribute to over one in five (21%) new diabetes cases and more than one in 10 (11%) new heart disease cases. Countries like <b>Colombia, Mexico, and South Africa</b> have been hit particularly hard, according to the research from Tufts University in the US.

Sugary drinks are responsible for nearly half (48%) of all new diabetes cases in Colombia, with almost one-third of new diabetes cases in Mexico linked to them. In South Africa, sugary beverages are connected to over a quarter (27.6%) of new diabetes cases and 14.6% of cardiovascular disease cases.

These drinks are quickly digested, causing blood sugar spikes with little nutritional benefit. Regular consumption over time can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, and a range of metabolic issues tied to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Dariush Mozaffarian, one of the study's authors and director of Tufts University's Food is Medicine Institute, explained: “Sugar-sweetened beverages are heavily marketed in low- and middle-income countries. These communities are consuming harmful products but are often less equipped to manage the long-term health consequences”.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 830 million people globally have diabetes, most of whom reside in low- and middle-income countries. Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 is preventable.

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide, responsible for about 17.9 million deaths each year, with over three-quarters of those deaths occurring in low- and middle-income nations.

Dr. Catherine Kanari, a non-communicable disease specialist for Amref Health Africa in Kenya, noted: “The rise of sugary drinks is fueled by influencer culture. In urban areas, young people are targeted by influencers promoting sugary drinks, filling the void left by a lack of school-based nutrition education.” She added, “The surge in diabetes cases could overwhelm our health systems".

The study’s authors advocate for a series of measures, including public health campaigns, advertising regulations, and taxes on sugary drinks. Mexico, which has one of the highest sugary drink consumption rates, introduced a tax on these beverages in 2014.

Mozaffarian concluded, “Much more needs to be done, particularly in Latin America and Africa, where consumption is high, and the health consequences are severe. As a global community, we must address sugary drink consumption".

Sugary drinks linked to greater chance of heart disease

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