More than a third of people in the U.S. have diabetes, and around 10.5% of the population is affected.
The Institute for Alternative Futures has predicted that by 2030, the number of Americans with diabetes would rise from 35.6 million in 2015 to 54.9 million.
The economic impact of diabetes is also significant, accounting for 10 per cent of global health expenditure (USD $760 billion).
Health experts, around the world, claim that our daily diet plays a key role in the development of diabetes.
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And to find the main risk factors, a research team from the University of South Australia (UniSA), in partnership with the China Medical University, and Qatar University, carried out a longitudinal study on 8545 adults (average age 50 years) participated in the China Health and Nutrition Survey between 1991 to 2009.
According to Dr Ming Li, Epidemiologist and public health expert at UniSA:
“Diet is a known and modifiable factor that contributes to the onset Type 2 diabetes, so understanding the range of dietary factors that might impact the growing prevalence of the disease is important.”
The results of the study show that people who regularly consumed one or more eggs per day (equivalent to 50 grams) increased their risk of diabetes by 60 percent.
“Over the past few decades China has undergone a substantial nutritional transition that’s seen many people move away from a traditional diet comprising grains and vegetables, to a more processed diet that includes greater amounts of meat, snacks and energy-dense food.
“At the same time, egg consumption has also been steadily increasing; from 1991 to 2009, the number of people eating eggs in China nearly doubled.
International egg consumption across the same period was:
33.65 g/day in Europe
28.43 g/day in America
20.56 g/day in Asia
21.45 g/day in the world
18.20 g/day in Oceania (including Australia)
5.93 g/day in Africa.
“While the association between eating eggs and diabetes is often debated, this study has aimed to assess people’s long-term egg consumption of eggs and their risk of developing diabetes, as determined by fasting blood glucose.
“What we discovered was that higher long-term egg consumption (greater than 38 grams per day) increased the risk of diabetes among Chinese adults by approximately 25 per cent.
“Furthermore, adults who regularly ate a lot of eggs (over 50 grams, or equivalent to one egg, per day) had an increased risk of diabetes by 60 per cent.”
The effect was also more pronounced in women than in men.
Dr Li says that while these results suggest that higher egg consumption is positively associated with the risk of diabetes in Chinese adults, more research is needed to explore causal relationships.
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“To beat diabetes, a multi-faceted approach is needed that not only encompasses research, but also a clear set of guidelines to help inform and guide the public. This study is one step towards that long-term goal.”
Image Credit: Getty