Myth & Facts: Does Sugar Really Gives You Diabetes?

Tons of articles that you can read “Does sugar really gives you diabetes?” or might have read on this topic are available at one click, already. Then, why should you read this specific discussion? Well, in this discussion, our focus is going to be more on debunking a few myths that have become associated with diabetes and sugar. Causes diabetes and contributes to diabetes are two different approaches altogether when we talk about the correlation between sugar and diabetes. Now that is not many blogs have talked about it in lucid terms, but that doesn’t undermine the importance of this angle. If you are intrigued, here is an idea. Why don’t you stay with us till the very end as we debunk the myths and talk about nothing but facts?

Mapping Sugar in Your Diet

Let us start with the basics, and identify the food items through which sugar is entering your body every day. Of course, there is the table sugar that we add to our tea, coffee, and other breakfast items without any second thought every morning. But have you ever thought about the less obvious sugar intake? We are talking about those chocolate cakes that you had at the birthday parties last month, as well as the smoothies and juices without which life seems a dull affair to many of you. So, when you are landscaping your sugar intake, you must take into consideration, both the natural and the added sugars [I].

Does Sugar Really Gives You Diabetes?: An Overview

We have talked about the suspect but we haven’t said anything about the crime yet. Or disease in this case. Well, in this section, we are going to recap diabetes for those of you who are not well familiar with this disorder. In this condition, a patient’s metabolic system fails in regulating the blood sugar levels. This can happen because of two reasons. Either the patient suffers from an auto-immune disorder or because of unhealthy lifestyle choices. Diabetes has been categorized into two types based on these reasons as well. The former forms the basis for Type 1 while the latter forms the basis for Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is genetic and rare, while type 2 accounts for more than 90 percent [II] cases of diabetes reported worldwide.

Sugar & Diabetes: Unraveling the Connection

We all believe that numbers don’t lie. Well, let us use this trusted metric of evaluating things to assess whether or not sugar causes diabetes. Studies have been conducted which focused on the association between diabetes and excessive sugar consumption. You must be wondering what amounted to excess in these studies? Well, in one of the studies, sweetened beverages were the center of attention, and it was discovered that the risk of diabetes increased by 25 percent [III] in the subject population that was addicted to high sugar beverages. What is the takeaway? Sugar doesn’t directly cause type 2 diabetes, but it can contribute to the disease nevertheless if you are not too careful.

How Can We Control Blood Sugar Levels?

The Indirect Connection

You are going to gain weight if you keep cramming your mouth with doughnuts all the time. We are not going to mince our words, sorry! Now, what’s the relevance of this unpleasant truth here? Well, it might come as a bit of a nasty shocker to some of you, but just like sugar, weight is also one of the factors that can increase the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Obesity can increase the chances of insulin resistance [IV], which is the hormone that metabolizes sugar in your diet. So, keeping a check on your sugar intake is extremely important even if it doesn’t cause the disease directly.

Tips to Avoid Diabetes Complications

Should You Cut Sugar Out of Your Diet Completely?

Absolutely not. Do you remember the bit about free sugars? Good if you do! Because it is the free sugars that you need to control in your diet. You need the natural sugars that are found in fruits and vegetables. But the free sugars that are coming via some of the other sources that we have talked about earlier are the real threat here. You should make an effort to control free sugar, the recommended limit is 6-7 teaspoons per day. This equals 30 grams, and if you breach this limit, you are just flirting with danger.

Ways to Manage Your Diabetes for Life

How Can You Cut Down Sugar? 

Just building on the point that we have mentioned in the previous section, you need to be clever about how you reduce the sugar content in your diet. Keep the fruits, said the wise one! But you can make a lot of progress by having less ketchup or yogurt on daily basis. And while we are on the subject, can you please have another thought about that third glass of juice you are going to have, once you are done reading this article?

What if Diabetics Overdose on Sugar? 

Such an event should not be allowed to happen at all costs. And we mean at all costs! The reason why we sound so scared about this is that the excess sugar will move into the urine, which can then upset the whole filtration and reabsorption process taking place at the glomerulus. An alarming amount of fluid can be withdrawn from the body, which can lead to life-threatening conditions. These conditions include mild to severe dehydration and diabetic coma [V]. We hope you can understand why diabetics must not consume excess sugar now. 

Early Signs of Diabetes in Women

Conclusion 

We have swiftly moved to the concluding point in this discussion, but we really hope that you learned something new from this article. People mess up their diets completely, just after reading a few messed up articles on the internet that don’t reflect accurate information, most of the time. But we are optimistic that you are not going to do anything of that sort & we hope that you get all the information related to “Does sugar really gives you diabetes?“. If you can’t figure out the calorie game, you should consult a nutritionist. They are the people who can give you the best advice that would be more specific for you! With that wise advice, we bid you farewell from this discussion!

References

[I]https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/food-groups/sugar-and-diabetes

[II] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140673617300582

[III] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4420570/

[IV] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24010754/

[V]https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-coma/symptoms-causes/syc-20371475