Availability of sugar, particularly in the form of sweetened beverages, impacts the incidence of diabetes in a given country, according to a study published in PLOS ONE (February 28).
Researchers at Stanford Prevention Research Center at Stanford University School of Medicine, looked at 175 countries worldwide to explore the link between sugar availability and diabetes rates. They found that for every additional 150 calories available in a country correlated to a 1.1% increase in diabetes in that country. A can of soda has about 150 calories in it.
"We're not diminishing the importance of obesity at all, but these data suggest that at a population level there are additional factors that contribute to diabetes risk besides obesity and total calorie intake, and that sugar appears to play a prominent role," said lead author Dr. Sanjay Basu in a prepared statement.
The authors claim that, by establishing a dose-response relationship, they've proved a likely cause-and-effect link between sugar intake and diabetes.
The American Beverage Association demurred:
"The study's conclusions on sugar and diabetes should be viewed cautiously given that the underlying model failed to consider the potential impact of solid fats — such as butter, cheese and lard — or factor for family history."
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