Summary The rate of diabetes was 8pc in high-consuming nations while 6.7pc among low-consuming nations.
A sweetener that is used in food products like biscuits and ice creams could be partly to blame for the rising rates of type 2 diabetes, researchers say.
The syrup is commonly used in processed food items because it improves the appearance and provides a consistent browning after oven heating.
According to the new study, countries that use large amounts of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) have higher rates of the disease than those that consume little.
Among 42 countries studied, the rate of diabetes was 8 percent in high-consuming nations and 6.7 among low consumers - a difference of 20 percent.
"This research suggests that HFCS can increase the risk of type-2 diabetes, which is one of the most common causes of death in the world today,” the Daily Mail quoted Professor Stanley Ulijaszek from Oxford University, who co-led the study, as saying.
