Diabetes And Sugar: A Very Misunderstood Subject

Let’s talk about diabetes and sugar.  If you’re like most people, you know that there’s some sort of connection between the two, but you’re sort of fuzzy on the details.  In fact, you have probably heard the disease itself referred to as sugar diabetes.  This is less common these days, but many older people still use this incorrect term.  And you’ve probably heard two completely contradictory statements – that sugar causes diabetes, and that sugar doesn’t’ cause diabetes.  Which one’s true, and which one’s false?  They can’t both be true, can they?  Just what are the facts, exactly?

Well, when it comes to diabetes and sugar, it’s easy to understand why some people get confused.  One reason is that diabetics are told to avoid sugar and sweets to manage their blood sugar.  Another reason is that if a person starts slipping into a diabetic coma, the way to prevent it is to actually give them something with sugar in it.  Unless you or a loved one has diabetes, you probably have had no reason to get a better grasp of the subject.  And here’s the answer to your question of “does sugar cause diabetes?”

The answer to the question about diabetes and sugar is yes,and no.  In and of itself, no, sugar in its various forms, does not cause diabetes in a person.  But to just leave it at that, with no clarification, is very misleading.  Eating too many calories is the main cause of adult onset diabetes (combined with a lack of exercise).  And guess what one of the biggest culprits is in today’s high calorie lifestyles?  Yes, it’s sugar.  Soft drinks, sweets, chocolates, sugared coffee, desserts, snacks, etc.  These things are staples of the modern American diet, and they are all filled with sugar.  When it comes to putting on weight, sugar give you a lot more bang for your buck.  It’s much, much higher in calories than just about any other food.  And it’s the main reason Americans are getting fatter and fatter.  Which is the main reason that more and more of us are contracting diabetes.  So, no sugar doesn’t directly cause diabetes, but yes, sugar is one of the main reasons we have an epidemic of diabetes in America.