Does Eating Sugar Cause Diabetes? - Diabetes Strong

Does Eating Sugar Cause Diabetes?
If you live with diabetes (type 1, type 2, gestational, or any other kind of diabetes), you know that living with the condition is rife with myths, misinformation, and especially stigma.
There’s a stigma about how we’re supposed to eat, how much we’re supposed to eat, what we’re supposed to eat, and seemingly more than ever, wondering if eating actual sugar has caused our diabetes.
This is more than victim-blaming; misinformation about nutrition in general can be very dangerous to people. But the topic of sugar is a little more complicated; there are nuances and attention to detail that must be paid.
This article will investigate whether or not eating sugar causes diabetes, the implication of eating sugar, and how you can incorporate sweets into your life in a healthy way if you choose to do so.
What happens when you eat sugar?
When you eat sugar (which can be called many things, but a molecule of sugar is made up of one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose bonded together), it is released into your bloodstream.
This raises blood sugar levels in people with and without diabetes, and (if you do not have diabetes), it sends a signal to your pancreas to release insulin to lower your blood sugar.
People who have diabetes, in turn, must inject insulin (or take another medication) to bring their blood sugar levels back down.
Insulin takes glucose out of the bloodstream and into your cells, where it can be metabolized for energy.
If you eat more sugar than your body uses for energy, the excess is stored as fatty acids and turns into bodily fat, which causes excess inflammation in the body and can lead to weight gain.
Fructose can be converted directly to fat, with higher intakes leading to an increase in triglyceride levels, which can increase your risk for heart disease and fatty liver disease (think high-fructose corn syrup that’s added to many sugar-sweetened beverages).
High intake of fructose is also associated with the development of gout, a painful joint condition.
In addition to its addictive qualities, sugar in excess can also cause headaches, higher blood pressure, increased risk of cancer, and cavities, not to mention the sluggish feeling of lethargy after a sugar spike and then subsequent crash.
Why is sugar so bad for you?
Sugar is a naturally-occurring carbohydrate that’s found in many fruits, dairy, grains, and even vegetables. Consuming these whole foods that naturally have sugar is fine because they are also full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants that are important for a well-rounded diet.
These healthy foods also slow down the digestion of the sugar/carbohydrates, providing a steady stream of energy, without the crash. They also keep you fuller for longer, as many fruits and vegetables have high water content as well.
The main issue with sugar is when it’s found in processed foods with added sugar. The sugar found in an apple is very different from the sugar found in an ice-cream sundae, and your body can tell the difference.
In the typical American diet, the top sources of added sugar are found in soft drinks (soda), fruit drinks, flavored yogurts, cereals, cookies, cakes, candy, and other processed foods (even bread usually has added sugar!).
In short: Americans are eating way too much added sugar and it’s wreaking havoc on our health.
It’s recommended that women have no more than 100 calories of added sugar per day (6 teaspoons) and men have no more than 150 calories of added sugar (9 teaspoons) per day, but less is always better because sugar is not a necessary nutrient in any diet.
Additionally, since added sugars are mostly found in processed foods that don’t have much nutritional value, it’s harder to get full, which makes it incredibly easy to overeat. Think: have you ever eaten too many apples? How about cookies?
It’s important to remember, however, that these studies show sugar increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but do not prove that sugar indeed causes diabetes.
No amount of sugar can cause type 1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune condition not related to one’s metabolic state.
Tipping the scales to a diagnosis
So there can be no direct line drawn from your daily Dr. Pepper habit to a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, but increasing your risk, if you’re already in a high-risk group for developing type 2 diabetes, can spell trouble.
Have a history of gestational diabetes or gave birth to a baby over 9 pounds
Have a history of heart disease and/or stroke
Have depression
Have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Have Acanthosis Nigricans
Have diagnosed prediabetes
Have high fasting blood glucose levels
If you have one or more of these risk factors, you need to be careful with the amount of added sugar you consume in your diet.
It can tip the scales into developing insulin resistance and prediabetes, which over time (if left untreated) can develop into type 2 diabetes.
What about artificial sweeteners?
Artificial sweeteners have long been a godsend to the diabetes community: these seemingly magical compounds are man-man, and cannot be metabolized by the human body, even though they can make things extremely sweet.
This means that you can add things like Sweet N Low, Splenda, or Equal to your coffee, tea, or cereal without the added need to bolus insulin (nor suffer from additional calories!).
However, as more research comes out about the unintended consequences of these chemicals, researchers warn to be wary.
Even though they don’t technically raise blood sugar levels, artificial sweeteners have been linked with increased insulin resistance as well as type 2 diabetes. In fact, drinking just one diet soda per day has been found to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by between 25-67%!
The reasons for this are murky; artificial sweeteners increase not only your tolerance for sweet foods but can increase cravings for them as well (as opposed to training your taste buds to not crave sweet things at all).
Artificial sweeteners do not contain sugar (nor added calories), so they are better for preventing the development of cavities. However, they have also been correlated with the development of weight gain and type 2 diabetes.
Limit your sugar intake, and incorporate whole foods, including lots of fresh fruits and low-carb vegetables, that have naturally-occurring sugars, that pose no threats to your health.
Fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy may contain naturally-occurring sugars, but are also full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making them a healthy alternative to added sugars and artificial sweeteners.
Work with your doctor, a registered dietitian, or a nutritionist to make a meal plan that will work for you, your lifestyle, and your health goals.
About Christine Fallabel
Christine Fallabel has been living with type 1 diabetes since 2000. She works in public policy, helping people with diabetes have better access to health insurance, affordable medication, and to fight disability-discrimination in the work and school environments. She earned her Master of Public Health from Temple University. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking with her husband in the mountains of Colorado, tinkering with her DIY Loop insulin pump, and vegan cooking.
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Just 2 years ago I was diagnosed with diabetes. My situation was pretty desperate as my blood sugar levels were getting higher and higher and my health was deteriorating. I was gaining weight, my eye sight was getting worse, and my family was getting worried. However, after I followed the steps in the program I found here ( diabetes.best-remedy.info ) I no longer have to worry about checking my blood sugar multiple times a day. I no longer have to worry about injecting insulin into my body every day. My life has changed for the good.
Thank you for all you do,
Last year I weighed 232lbs and my height was 5’8. I was a diabetic 2 for 30 years on 500 Insulin and Insulin pump for 18 years. I always rode my bike at least 5 miles per day but never experienced any positive result. Using an Apple Watch 1 it would record the results and time. Example: bike ride 150 cal, time 25 minutes. I replaced my Apple Watch 1 with an Apple Watch 6. When I checked my progress. a 45 minute walk would only register as a 8 minute walk. Bike rides on a flat surface recorded very little exercise. Called Apple support because I thought something was wrong with the Watch. I was told by support if you heart rate is not increasing you are not really get sufficient exercise.
They recommended walking fast, running, riding bike uphill.
So being 67 years old I started walking 1/4 mile then running few hundred feet on our community 2 mile outdoor track. I noticed if I ran after eating my glucose number went down without insulin.
Today after 9 months I weigh 142 pounds, and run 2 miles everyday.
The results: no more insulin, no more blood pressure meds, no meds period, today going on 68 I feel like 21. Survivor of colon cancer, stage 3 lung cancer and two heart attacks. My cardio fitness is now 34.5 started at 18..If I can do it anyone can, Never in a million years though I would be classified as a non diabetic. I learned a lot from news letters regarding what to eat. I thought eating instant oatmeal was good until I found out my glucose would shoot up from 120 to 260. Now I eat steel cut that takes 30 minutes to cook and no spikes, the less something is processed the less spikes. Diet and exercise,
By the way I run everyday 2 miles and it only take 20 to 25 minutes, very small price to be off insulin and now only seeing a primary care doctor and cardiologist once per year. My Health Insurance company is in shock, saving them 5,500.00 per month for 500 insulin and pump supplies and constant doctor appointment
Please give it a try, I wished I did this 30 years ago, I watch both of my parents die due to diabetes. Mis information, being told insulin is not a drug it’s made naturally in your body and take all you need, which meant to me eat all you want and pump it in. After a while regular insulin 100 was no sufficient and started using 500. If the health provider is not trying to get you off insulin they find a new provider.