Lonliness, Insomnia, Stress, Depression Increases Diabetes Risk Up to 78%

But cheese lowers it :-)

The study, led by researchers at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), analyzed lifestyle and health data from 19,774 adults in the UK Biobank, followed for up to 17 years. The study found that loneliness, insomnia and poor mental health were estimated to increase diabetes risk by 35 percentage points each. When all three factors were combined, the estimated increase rose to 78 percentage points.

These problems were all associated with increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can increase diabetes risk. There were also associated with poor diet.

Professor Barbara Pierscionek, deputy dean for research and innovation in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care at ARU, said: “Type 2 diabetes is a rising global health concern which we know is heavily influenced by lifestyle.

“However, current risk prediction models rely on BMI, age and blood pressure, which oversimplify this disease and overlook the more complex interconnected behavioral and emotional factors that precede and shape the onset of the condition.”

The study, published in Frontiers in Digital Health, used a digital twin model — a novel AI-based system to simulate disease progression and potential interventions.

The good news? Many safe and natural options can not only help sleep, anxiety and depression, but have also been shown to dramatically improve diabetes.

More good news? With all we here about foods to avoid, the study showed that cheese intake was associated with lower diabetes risk. This corroborates research on what has been called the "whole milk paradox." The scientific observation that, contrary to traditional low-fat dietary guidelines, consuming full-fat dairy products is often linked to a lower risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes.