Can Eating Sugar Give You Diabetes?

Question

I have a friend who thinks that eating lots of sugar will result in diabetes. I tend to disagree -- diabetes is a lack of insulin (or so I believe), and you can produce more after you eat more sugar. So, eating more sugar wouldn't give you diabetes, which seems to be a common misconception among some people that I know.

So, am I right? Does eating foods containing high amounts of sugar (i.e. candy, ice cream, etc.) increase the likelihood for diabetes?

Answer 1

Sugar in the diet does not cause diabetes. Any type of carbohydrate in the diet (including simple sugars and the fruit, bread, and milk food groups) easily and quickly turn into glucose when food is digested. Glucose is used by the body for energy. We cannot survive without a constant supply of glucose.
Fats and proteins in the diet are also converted to glucose and other substances that can be used for energy, but the process is very slow. Therefore an ideal diet contains an appropriate mix of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, so that we have a constant supply of energy.

Insulin is a hormone that helps our bodies use glucose for energy. Diabetes occurs when there is absolute or relative insulin deficiency (less insulin than the body needs to use glucose effectively). There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is more common in children; it occurs when the cells that produce insulin stop producing insulin. Type 2 diabetes is more common in adults; it is caused by an imbalance between resistance to insulin and the body`s ability to produce insulin - the body is not as sensitive to insulin, making it harder for insulin to do it`s job and the cells which make insulin can`t keep up with the insulin requirements.

Currently there is no way to prevent Type 1 diabetes. However, it may be possible to reduce the risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. We can help insulin work better in our bodies by eating well-balanced meals (a mixture of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats), eating high sugar and high calorie foods only in moderation, keeping weight in a normal range, and exercising daily. These behaviors may help prevent the onset or progression of Type 2 diabetes in susceptible individuals.

This explains the sugar link***
Glucose, or sugar, is the body's main fuel source. That means your body — including your brain — needs glucose to work properly. But even though we need glucose for energy, too much glucose in the blood can be unhealthy.

What Is Hyperglycemia?
Hyperglycemia (say: hi-per-gly-see-me-uh) is the medical word for high blood sugar levels. The hormone insulin is supposed to control the level of glucose in the blood. But someone with diabetes doesn't make enough insulin — or the insulin doesn't work properly — so too much sugar can get into the blood and make the person sick. If you have high blood sugar levels, you may need treatment to lower your blood sugar. Your parents and your diabetes health care team will tell you what your blood sugar levels should be and what to do if they get too high.

What Causes High Blood Sugar Levels in a Person With Diabetes?
Managing diabetes is like a three-way balancing act because you have to watch:

the medicines you take (insulin or pills)
the food that you eat
the amount of exercise you do
All three need to be balanced. If any one of these is off, blood sugar levels can be, too. Your parents and doctor can help you with this balancing act. In general, higher than normal blood glucose levels can be caused by:

not taking your diabetes medicine when you're supposed to or not taking the right amounts
eating more food than your meal plan allows (without adjusting your insulin or diabetes pills)
not getting enough exercise
having an illness, like the flu
taking other kinds of medicines that affect how your diabetes medicines work
Keeping blood sugar levels close to normal can be hard sometimes, and nobody's perfect. Grown-ups can help you stay in balance if you have diabetes. Sometimes blood sugar levels can be high because you're growing and your doctor needs to make some changes in your diabetes treatment plan

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Can Eating Sugar Give You Diabetes?
I have a friend who thinks that eating lots of sugar will result in diabetes. I tend to disagree -- diabetes is a lack of insulin (or so I believe), and you can produce more after you eat more sugar. So, eating more sugar wouldn't give you diabetes, which seems to be a common misconception...

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Eating a lot of sugar will not give you diabetes, but if you eat a long term diet of carbohydrates your body produces too much sugar. The insulin is supposed to push the sugar into the cells, but when diabetes develops, the cells resist the insulin and the sugar remains in the blood and causes all the other problems associated with diabetes; blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, etc.

Eating sugar may not cause diabetes, but sugar can cause a lot of damage to the organs.

Answer 7

Type 1 diabetic here. First off I want to direct this answer to the misinformed named hammer2dead, ravon w, and hygh2 and also pat nas on the back. TYPE 2 diabetes can be linked to eating too much sugar along with lack of exercise, genetics and an otherwise unhealthy lifestyle, TYPE 1 CANNOT!!! If i had a dollar for everyone who thought I'm diabetic because i was fat or ate too much sugar I'd be rich. Type 1 diabetes is NOT hereditary in itself, it is part of a larger group of hereditary diseases called auto-immune diseases such as thyroid problems, heart disease, forms of arthritis, and hypoglycemia. Type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile onset, is something that you are born with, whether you are diagnosed at that time or not, and may come into effect later on in life. It has nothing to do with too much sugar intake, that's like asking someone with a brain tumor if they got it from using their brain too much.

8-24-06... That was my boyfriend who answered this question.. sneaky fellow : )

Answer 8

Eating unhealthy, becoming big is a risk factor of Diabetes type 2 which is your cells in your body does not react properly to insulin. Diabetes type 1 is the pancreas not producing insulin properly. there's a difference. sooooooo, your answer is eating lot's of sugar might give your friend Diabetes type 2 later on.

BUT thin ppl too can get Diabetes type 2. Just being heavier is one of the risk factors

Answer 9

Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body produces too little insulin or can't use available insulin efficiently. Insulin is a hormone vital to helping the body use digested food for growth and energy.

An estimated 20.8 million Americans (seven percent of the population) have diabetes, and each year about 1.3 million more aged 20 or older are diagnosed with the disorder, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Untreated, diabetes can cause long-term complications that affect almost every part of the body. Diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death in the US, however diabetes is likely to be underreported as the underlying cause of death on death certificates.

You are at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes if you are overweight, don't exercise and are over 30, or if you have close relatives with diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes. Higher-risk ethnic groups include African American, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, Alaskan Native, Asian or Pacific Islander American heritage. These groups of people have twice the risk of Caucasians for developing type 2 diabetes.

Although diabetes is a potentially life-threatening condition, people with well-managed diabetes can expect to live healthy lifestyles

Answer 10

There is no evidence that sugar is directly responsible for diabetes. Being fat is a risk factor (which is very possible to happen if you consume that amount of calories) but sugar alone won't cause you diabetes. However refreshments that contain sugar are related so be aware.