Consumption of sweetened beverages is associated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes in Brazilian adults (CUME project)

Abstract

Background and aimTo evaluate the association between the energy consumption of sweetened beverages (SBs) adjusted for daily energy intake and the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Methods and resultsThis was a prospective study with 2480 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-free Cohort of Universities of Minas Gerais (CUME) participants at baseline and 2–4 years of follow-up. A longitudinal analysis was performed with generalized equation estimation to verify the effect of SB consumption, adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle variables, on the incidence of T2DM. The incidence of T2DM was 2.78%. The median calorie intake of daily SB consumption adjusted for energy was 47.7 kcal/day. Participants with the highest consumption of SBs (≥47.7 kcal/day) were 63% (odds ratio [OR] = 1.63; p value-0.049) more likely to acquire T2DM over time compared to the lowest consumption (<47.7 kcal/day). ConclusionsHigher energy consumption from SBs favored a higher incidence of T2DM among CUME participants. The results reinforce the need for marketing restrictions on these foods and taxation to reduce the consumption of these beverages to prevent T2DM and other chronic noncommunicable diseases.