Diabetes Here I Come

“Diabetes here I come.” Controversy quickly brewed this week after a Starbucks barista wrote those four words on a customer’s grande white mocha. But rather than put those words on a specialty coffee, let’s put them where they really belong. With 422 million adults worldwide living with diabetes, I’d like to see the blunt warning on packaging for the most diabetogenic foods exacerbating this global epidemic.

• Red Meat: Diabetes here I come. An increase of more than half of a serving of red meat per day increases the risk for type 2 diabetes by 48 percent, according to one study. Decreasing red meat intake resulted in a decreased risk for diabetes. Many other studies show the same.
• Eggs: Diabetes here I come. Another recent study found that consuming three or more eggs per week increases an American's risk for type 2 diabetes by 39 percent. It’s just one of many studies linking egg consumption to diabetes.
• Dairy, Chicken, and Fish: Diabetes here I come. A study released earlier this month found that those who consumed the highest amount of animal protein increased their risk for type 2 diabetes by 13 percent. But participants who replaced 5 percent of their protein intake with vegetable protein decreased their risk for diabetes by 23 percent.

There’s plenty of other evidence showing that animal products increase diabetes risk, while plant-based diets can often prevent and reverse diabetes.

Diabetes here I come. It’s a message many don’t want to hear. But with about 1.5 million newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes cases and nearly 250,000 diabetes-related deaths in America each year, it’s an easier pill to swallow than the consequences of getting the disease.