An estimated 14 million cases of type 2 diabetes were caused by a poor diet, a recent study published in Nature Medicine found.
Diets that lacked whole grains or had too much refined rice, wheat or processed meats were linked to the disease.
Those that included overconsumption of fruit juice or insufficient amounts of non-starchy vegetables, nuts or seeds also had some impact on diagnoses, though not as much.
The rise of type 2 diabetes cases represents “a growing burden on individuals, families, and healthcare systems,” a press release noted.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin, impeding the body’s ability to regulate and use sugar as fuel.
More than 37 million Americans — about 1 in 10 — already have incurable diabetes, making it the seventh leading cause of death in the nation.
In the new study, researchers at Tufts University analyzed the diets of 184 countries worldwide using data from 1990 and 2018, revealing that more than 70% of new diagnoses in 2018 were believed to have been caused by unhealthy dietary patterns.