Most of us may have wondered if eating sugars can cause diabetes. Well, consuming excess quantities of sugary stuff can indeed make you prone to developing diabetes, but sugar intake is just one part of the riddle. Yet regularly eating plenty of sugar can up your risk.

Several other factors, such as dietary practice, lifestyle, and heredity also affect your chance of developing diabetes.

Read this article to learn about the role of sugar in developing diabetes and effective measures to follow to aver the risk.

Understanding Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic condition that results in high levels of sugar in the blood. This condition occurs when the pancreas is not producing enough insulin, cells become resistant to insulin, or both. Insulin is a key hormone that converts sugar from the bloodstream into cells as energy. High blood sugar levels over a longer duration can increase the risk of other complications like heart disease and kidney and nerve damage; thus, it’s essential to maintain blood sugar levels.

Also Read: Diabetes Care: Manage Blood Sugar Levels With Smart Carbohydrate Choices

There are mainly two types of diabetes:

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that occurs when the immune system attacks healthy pancreatic cells, impeding its ability to produce insulin.

In Type 2 diabetes the pancreas does not produce adequate insulin, and the body’s cells no longer respond to the insulin.

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Does Sugar Intake Increase Your Risk Of Diabetes?

Several studies have revealed that regularly consuming sugary drinks can raise your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, low sugar intake can reduce your risk. Though these studies haven't proven that sugar causes diabetes, the relationship between sugar and diabetes is strong. Most researchers believe that sugar up diabetes risk both directly and indirectly.

High intake of sugar may directly increase diabetes risk due to the impact of fructose on the liver. Additionally, consuming excess amounts of sugar can indirectly raise risk by leading to weight gain and higher body fat. Both of these are individual risk factors for developing diabetes.

Also Read: What Happens To Your Body When You Stop Eating Direct Sugars? Benefits and Considerations

To lessen the adverse impacts of high sugar intake, the ICMR dietary guidelines 2024 recommended that no more than 10% of total daily calories should come from added sugars.

How Do Natural Sugars Impact Diabetes?

Eating large amounts of added sugars has been associated with diabetes. However, the same is not true with natural sugars.

Natural sugars are those present in fruits and vegetables and are not added during processing. Because they are packed with dietary fibre, water, and other vital nutrients, these foods are digested more slowly and are less prone to spike blood sugar levels.

Also, fruits and vegetables contain minimal amounts of sugars by weight compared to most processed foods. You can always maintain portion size.

The evidence is mixed on whether drinking 100 % fruit juice increases diabetes risk. Natural juice is high in sugar and low in fibre, so it can spike blood sugar levels. But pairing it with healthy protein, fat, and fibre may avert blood sugar surges.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends substituting fruit juice with water or calorie-free drinks.

Natural Sweeteners

Honey and maple syrup are natural sugars that are not processed as table sugar; they are pure forms of sugar and devoid of fibre. Other sweeteners marketed as “natural “like agave syrup, coconut sugar and cane sugar should be considered as added sugar.

How is Sugar Metabolized in the Body?

Sugar is referred to as sucrose or table sugar. Sucrose comprises one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose bonded together.

When sugar is consumed, it is broken down into smaller molecules, glucose and fructose, which are separated by enzymes in the small intestine before being absorbed into the bloodstream. This eventually raises blood sugar levels and signals the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin functions to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells, which is used as fuel to carry out regular activities.

Some amount of fructose is also taken up by cells and used for energy, and most of it is stored in the liver as glycogen or stored as fat. As fructose can be converted to fat, consuming a lot of it can raise triglyceride levels, increasing your risk of heart disease and fatty liver.

What To Eat To Lower Your Diabetes Risk?

In addition to cutting down on added sugars, other dietary modifications can help you reduce your diabetes risk:

Eating a wholesome diet loaded with ample reserves of nuts, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats and whole grains has been associated with lowered risk of diabetes.

Drinking coffee without added sugar or sugar byproducts may decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Adding plenty of green leafy veggies to the meal plan has been linked to a lower risk of diabetes.

If cutting down on added sugars feels overwhelming, start slowly by reducing your intake of sugar-loaded beverages, which are the primary source of added sugars in your meal plan.

A small change could significantly impact your overall health. Be mindful of reading food labels, as there are more than 50 names of sugar in food products. Identifying them is the first step in reducing your intake. There are several ways to reduce sugar while enjoying a flavourful and wholesome diet heaped with nutrients, so you don’t have to feel stressed.

( This article is reviewed by Kalyani Krishna Chief Content Editor)

Author Profile

M Sowmya Binu:

With over 15 years of expertise and a Postgraduate degree in Nutrition, M Sowmya Binu is a seasoned professional in the field of nutrition. Specializing in tailoring personalized diet plans, she underscores the significance of a balanced approach to health, emphasizing the integration of medication with dietary intake for holistic wellness. Passionate about equipping individuals with knowledge to make informed decisions, Sowmya adeptly develops insightful content encompassing a wide array of topics including food, nutrition, supplements, and overall health.

References:

Associations between Total and Added Sugar Intake and Diabetes among Chinese Adults: The Role of Body Mass Index

Yan Liu, Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Data curation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Project administration, Funding acquisition,1,2 Jing Cheng,

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10384374/

Relationship between Added Sugars Consumption and Chronic Disease Risk Factors: Current Understanding

James M. Rippe1,2,* and Theodore J. Angelopoulos

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5133084/