Diabetes is a potentially life-threatening illness that affects many Americans. Some people are born with diabetes, whereas others develop it later in life, owing in part to poor dietary choices. Eating a proper, healthy diet can ward off many maladies and can prevent diabetes. Diet can also help control diabetes in individuals who have already developed it. Consuming sugar may be linked to the development of diabetes.
Background
According to the National Institutes of Health, diabetes is a disorder that affects the functioning of your body's metabolism. In a healthy individual, the body is able to turn food into glucose. Glucose is the main energy source for the cells and the body. Insulin, which is produced by the pancreas, helps move glucose into cells. In diabetes, the body either doesn't produce enough insulin or for some reason the body cannot use the insulin that it produces and, in turn, cannot absorb glucose.
Considerations
When your body cannot absorb glucose, it builds up in your bloodstream, causing health problems. Unabsorbed glucose also does not provide the energy that the body needs to function, which can cause additional problems. Because glucose is a sugar, cutting down on sugar intake is an effective method for controlling diabetes. Controlling sugar intake will not have the same effect if you do not have diabetes, however.
Misconceptions
Although avoiding sugar is certainly vital for the well-being of individuals with diabetes, it is generally not a way to avoid developing the condition. The American Diabetes Association explains that eating sugar does not raise blood glucose levels more than eating other types of carbohydrates, so even people who have diabetes can eat sugar in small quantities if they exchange it with other types of carbohydrates that they might consume. If you are not susceptible to developing diabetes, you do not have to worry about sugar causing you to develop the disease.
Warning
If you are susceptible to developing diabetes, you may reduce your chances of developing the disorder by deceasing your sugar intake, the ADA explains, although the most important consideration is overall carbohydrate intake. This dietary advice is relevant to those at risk for developing type II diabetes, which can result from overeating and simply being overweight, and to pregnant women who can develop gestational diabetes. Over 90 percent of people with diabetes have type II diabetes, and more than 80 percent of these individuals are overweight.
Prevention
Rather than avoid sugar, you can take other, more effective steps to reduce your risk of developing diabetes. Eat an overall healthy diet with reduced carbohydrate intake, lose excess weight, and begin a moderate exercise program. Instead of taking sweets out of your diet completely, reduce the amount that you consume: the ADA recommends swapping a cookie for a slice of bread and splitting dessert with a friend. Portion control is a key factor in diabetes prevention, and it may allow you to have your cake and eat it, too.
