Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major global public health problem and its prevalence is trending upward year after year. T2D cases worldwide are expected to rise to approximately 552 million by 2030, a figure that will nearly double since 2011 (Whiting et al., 2011, p. 316). T2D is a disease attributed to the abnormal secretion of a hormone called insulin or insulin resistance, a problem due to the cells being unable to respond to the insulin signal. Therefore, the digestion of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins will not be regulated properly. The American Diabetes Association (2011) indicates that there are many serious syndromes that cause type 2 diabetes, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), blindness, kidney failure, and lower extremity amputation. There are many possible causes of T2D, such as modern eating patterns, lifestyle and genetics. This essay will discuss the association between unbalanced diets and T2D and the Mediterranean diet as a measure to mitigate the risk of T2D. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe Mediterranean diet refers to one consisting of a large portion of vegetables, a medium portion of fish, chicken, wine, dairy products, and a small portion of processed meat (Esposito et al., 2017, p. 27). First, various unhealthy diets will be analyzed as causes of T2D, then the benefits and disadvantages of the Mediterranean diet will be evaluated. Finally, this essay will conclude that although some limitations exist, the Mediterranean diet pattern may be a viable choice in preventing T2D. Due to the length constraint, this essay will only discuss the high sugar consumption and high meat consumption patterns. Excessive sugar intake contributes to T2D. In the USA, 1.8 million cases of T2D are attributable to sugary drinks out of a total of 20.9 million cases in 10 years which represent one of the main sources of sugar intake; and 79,000 out of 2.6 million are caused by it in the UK. It is also highlighted in the research by Imamura et al. (2015, p. 4) that one additional serving of fruit juice consumed per day will increase the incidence of T2D by 18% and the rate can be as high as 18% for sugar-sweetened beverages and 25% for artificially sweetened beverages . According to epidemiological research, if women consume too many soft drinks before pregnancy, their children will be exposed to a higher risk of T2D. High consumption of different sugars such as fructose and sucrose causes T2D, mainly derived from obesity, called adiposity-based mechanism, which causes T2D-associated metabolic system disorder such as insulin resistance (Johnson et al., 2009 , p. 99). Therefore, it can be shown that high sugar consumption is a nutritional pattern that can cause T2D. Furthermore, excessive meat consumption can also stimulate the onset of T2D. In a study conducted on 6525 diabetics out of a total of 445323 examined, it was shown that the relative risk (ratio of prevalence rate between two different groups) of the high meat consumption group compared to the low consumption group was 1.17. Data shows that meat consumption is positively correlated with the morbidity rate of T2D. Another research conducted by Ericson et al. (2012, p. 1148) also agrees that high consumption of different types of meat, including processed and unprocessed red meat and poultry, is relevant to T2D. There is an explanation for the mechanism behind this that a reaction would occur between nitrites in meat, especially processed meat, and amine compounds in the human body to form asubstance called nitrosamine. Nitrosamines can affect the normal expression of insulin receptors that are responsible for receiving the signal from insulin, i.e., insulin resistance develops. Additionally, nitrosamine is harmful to B cells (cells that produce insulin). According to the discussion above, high meat consumption is one of the causes of T2D. The Mediterranean diet pattern has proven to be an effective measure to reduce the incidence of T2D. Many studies are showing this conclusion. For example, in a study called ATTICA, 191 cases were recorded and followed for 10 years. It was concluded that medium and high adherence to the Mediterranean diet entails a 49% and 62% lower risk of T2D compared to low adherence. Another experiment known as PREDIMED produces a result that the incidence of T2D decreases by 30% thanks to the Mediterranean diet (Salas-Salvado et al., 2016, p. 920S). Salas-Salvado et al. (2015, p. 923S) also explain how this dietary pattern works by reducing the risk of T2D: a low glycemic index meal rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes with small amounts of processed meat and sugar has a positive effect on many metabolic reactions associated with T2D. Furthermore, the antioxidant profile it contains can help address insulin resistance and B cell malfunction. Furthermore, other dietary patterns almost do not have the benefit of the antioxidant profile. However, there is a limitation to the Mediterranean diet as a measure to reduce the risk of T2D. It has been found that most people fail to stick to the recommended diet due to their long-term eating habits which are difficult to change, but compared to other patterns such as low energy and low fat, the diet Mediterranean is much more valid and plausible with various types of foods contained to meet the needs of different individuals. Furthermore, it is recommended that the Mediterranean diet can be adapted according to the eating habits of particular regions. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, this essay discussed the dietary cause of T2D, including high-sugar and high-meat diets, and evaluated the Mediterranean diet for reducing the prevalence rate of T2D. Although changing eating habits is difficult for patients, the Mediterranean diet pattern is comparatively a viable choice. Therefore, citizens at risk of T2D could be encouraged to try the Mediterranean diet and a decrease in the prevalence rate could be observed in the future. Reference list Aune, D., Ursin, G. and Veiorod, MB (2009) 'Meat consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies', Diabetologia, 52, pp. 2277-2287. doi:10.1007/s00125-009-1481-x DeFronzo, R. A. et al. (2015) "Type 2 diabetes mellitus", Nature Reviews Disease Primers, 1, pp. 1-22. doi:10. 1038/nrdp.2015. 19 Eguaras, S. et al. (2017) 'Can the Mediterranean diet attenuate the risk of obesity-associated type 2 diabetes: the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort', British Journal of Nutrition, 117, pp. 1478-1485. doi:10.1017/S0007114517001404 Ericson, U. et al. (2012) “High intake of protein and processed meat associated with increased incidence of type 2 diabetes,” British Journal of Nutrition, 109, pp. 1143-1153. doi:10.1017/S0007114512003017 Esposito, K et al. (2016) 'Mediterranean diet for type 2 diabetes: cardiometabolic benefits', Endocrine, 56, pp. 27-32. doi:10.1007/s12020-016-1018-2 Imamura, F. et al. (2015) “Consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks, artificially sweetened drinks and fruit juices e.2011.10.029