The average North American consumes simple sugars as nine percent of his or her daily diet. Primitive people only had honey and other natural sweeteners, and only rarely at that. Not coincidentally, civilizations that do not have a western diet have an extremely low incidence of diabetes. High levels of ingested sugars and carbohydrates stimulate insulin release from the islet cells in the pancreas. Insulin drives sugar into cells as well as amino acids and fats.
Sugar happens to be the primary form of energy for the brain.
Diabetes also occurs when our cells become resistant to insulin, or when the pancreas cells are attacked as collateral damage from other illnesses, which is often the case from juvenile, or insulin-dependent, diabetes. The symptoms of diabetes are thirst, sweating and frequent urination. A blood test is more accurate than a urine test, and insulin levels can be measured. Fluctuating sugar levels shock the mural cells in capillaries. These then weaken, balloon and leak.