Diabetes is a condition characterized by elevated blood sugar levels. Many patients often worry and wonder whether eating sugar can lead to this condition. The truth is that consuming a large amount of sugar can increase the risk of developing diabetes; however, whether consuming a small amount affects the risk of diabetes is still debated.
1. What is diabetes?
Diabetes occurs when the body can no longer effectively regulate blood sugar levels. This can result from the pancreas stopping insulin production or from cells becoming resistant to insulin, or both.
Insulin is a hormone necessary for transporting sugar from the blood into cells. Therefore, both insulin deficiency and insulin resistance lead to prolonged hyperglycemia.
High blood sugar levels over a long period can lead to complications of diabetes, such as an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, nerve damage, and kidney problems. Therefore, controlling blood sugar is extremely important for diabetes patients.
Diabetes is divided into two main groups based on the cause:
- Type 1 diabetes: Occurs when the immune system attacks the body’s pancreas, resulting in the loss of insulin production.
- Type 2 diabetes: The pancreas produces enough insulin, but the cells no longer respond to the insulin produced.
Type 1 diabetes is relatively rare, mostly due to genetic factors, accounting for about 5-10% of diabetes cases. This article will mainly focus on type 2 diabetes, which makes up 90% of diabetes cases and is primarily triggered by dietary and lifestyle factors.
2. How is sugar metabolized?
The sugar used daily is mainly sucrose or refined sugar made from sugar beets or cane. Sucrose consists of one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule linked together. When consuming sucrose, the glucose and fructose molecules are separated by enzymes in the small intestine before being absorbed into the bloodstream.
As a result, blood sugar levels rise, stimulating the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin’s role is to transport glucose into the cells, where it is then converted into energy. For fructose, a small amount is absorbed by the cells and used as energy. However, most of it is transported to the liver and converted into glucose or fat for storage.
Excessive sugar intake can lead to an excess of energy in the body, which is converted into fatty acids and stored as fat. Since fructose can be converted into fats, high intake tends to increase triglyceride levels, which poses a risk of cardiovascular diseases and fatty liver disease.
High fructose sugar levels are also associated with higher blood uric acid concentrations. If these uric acid crystals deposit in the joints, it will lead to gout.
3. Does sugar increase the risk of diabetes?
Large studies show that people who regularly consume sugary drinks have about a 25% higher risk of developing diabetes. In fact, consuming a sugary beverage increases the risk of diabetes by an additional 13%, regardless of the weight gain effects of sugar.
Additionally, countries with high sugar consumption also have higher rates of type 2 diabetes, and conversely, lower diabetes rates are found in countries with low sugar consumption. Furthermore, the relationship between sugar intake and diabetes remains unchanged even when controlling for calorie intake, body weight, alcohol consumption, and exercise.
However, researchers emphasize that this study does not prove that sugar is the cause of diabetes. Sugar is seen as a direct as well as indirect risk factor for diabetes.
4. Does natural sugar cause diabetes?
Natural sugar is the sugar found in fruits and vegetables, and no additional sugar is added during production or processing. Because these sugars come with a lot of fiber, water, antioxidants, and other nutrients, they are digested and absorbed more slowly, making them less likely to cause spikes in blood sugar.
For example, a peach contains about 8% sugar by weight, while a Snickers bar contains 50% sugar by weight.
Several studies have shown that consuming one serving of fruit per day helps reduce the risk of diabetes by 7% to 13% compared to not consuming any.
5. Does fruit juice increase the risk of diabetes?
Research remains controversial regarding the use of pure fruit juice and its association with the risk of diabetes.
Some studies indicate a link between drinking juice and diabetes in developed countries because fruit juice has high sugar content and low fiber. However, others do not show an increased risk of diabetes with the consumption of fruit juice. Therefore, more research is needed to establish this relationship.
6. Do natural sweeteners increase the risk of diabetes?
Although some natural sweeteners like honey or syrup made from maple are not processed as much as table sugar or corn syrup, they are still considered a form of pure sugar because they do not contain fiber.
These products contain a significant amount of sucrose and fructose and are still regarded as added sugars in processing. Many other sweeteners sold on the market are of natural origin but should still be considered added sugars, such as coconut sugar or cane sugar.
Therefore, these natural sweeteners should be used in moderation as added sugars and should only make up less than 10% of total daily calories.
7. Do artificial sweeteners increase the risk of diabetes?
Artificial sweeteners are substances that taste sweet and do not convert into energy. Although these sweeteners do not raise blood sugar levels, there is still an association with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Drinking a can of soda can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 25-67% compared to non-drinkers.
The reasons are still unclear, and many hypotheses have been proposed. It is possible that artificially sweetened products increase cravings for sweet foods, leading to higher consumption of sugary foods and more weight gain, thereby increasing the risk of diabetes.
Another hypothesis is that the brain has a connection between sweetness and calorie intake. Since these sweeteners are consumed but do not produce energy, the brain may stimulate compensatory calorie intake from other food sources.
Some studies suggest that sweeteners may alter the quantity and types of microorganisms in the gut, contributing to reduced glucose tolerance, weight gain, and diabetes.
Although there are many studies linking sweeteners and diabetes, higher-quality studies are still needed to prove this association.
8. Some other risk factors for diabetes
High sugar consumption is associated with an increased risk of diabetes; however, this is not the only risk factor, as a combination of several other factors contributes to it, such as:
- Weight: Research shows that one of the main risk factors for diabetes is obesity. Losing 5-10% of body weight can reduce this risk.
- Exercise: Individuals with a sedentary lifestyle are nearly twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to those who are more active. Just 150 minutes of physical activity per week can reduce the risk of diabetes.
- Smoking: Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day doubles the risk of developing diabetes. When quitting smoking, this risk returns to normal.
- Sleep apnea: This condition, where breathing is obstructed during sleep, is a risk factor for diabetes.
- Genetics: The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is 40% if you have a parent with diabetes and 70% if both parents have diabetes.
9. How to eat to reduce the risk of diabetes?
In addition to reducing added sugar intake, there are several dietary changes that can help reduce the risk of diabetes:
- Diet: A diet rich in nuts, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains helps lower the risk of diabetes.
- Drinking coffee: Drinking coffee helps reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Consuming one cup of coffee a day can reduce the risk of diabetes by up to 7%.
- Eat more green vegetables: a diet high in green vegetables can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 14%.
- Limit alcohol
If reducing added sugars is quite difficult, you can start by cutting down on sugary drinks as they are a major source of sugar in the diets of those at risk of diabetes. Checking the nutritional components of each type of food helps control the calorie and sugar intake, contributing to a reduced risk of diabetes.
