The connection between sweets and diabetes exists in most people’s minds and is often accompanied by the phrase: “Don’t eat too many sweets! You’ll get diabetes!” But are things that simple? First, it is necessary to understand what diabetes mellitus is and how it is actually caused!
What is diabetes mellitus?
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease in which the body is unable to enter glucose into the cells, resulting in glucose accumulating in the blood, leading to various complications. The reason it fails is either because it cannot produce insulin at all, or because while it does produce it, it cannot use it properly. Cells are the “building blocks” of the body, and glucose, or sugar, is their “food.” Insulin helps glucose enter the cells.
There are two most common types of diabetes mellitus:
Type 1: The body does not produce any insulin at all. It is an autoimmune condition and the causes are mainly genetic. Diet and lifestyle play a small role in its occurrence.
Type 2: The body cannot use insulin properly. In this type of diabetes, although there is a genetic background, diet and lifestyle play a major role. So are sweets the cause of diabetes? And obviously the question concerns type 2 diabetes since, as mentioned above, type 1 has mainly genetic causes. No, eating sweets alone is not capable of causing diabetes.
However:
Excessive consumption of sugar and high-calorie foods can lead to obesity, which is a key risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes.
If someone already suffers from diabetes, excessive sugar consumption can make the condition worse, especially if it is not accompanied by appropriate nutritional combinations.
It’s not just sugar that plays a role, but also the overall dietary pattern, the quantity and quality of foods, their combination, etc.
So, is it okay to eat sweets?
Yes, but in moderation. A sweet is not forbidden, nor will it lead to diabetes. Maintaining a healthy body weight, a balanced diet, and daily physical activity are what greatly reduce the risk of developing diabetes, not the complete lack of consumption of sweets.
In Conclusion,
Sweets themselves do not cause diabetes, but their excessive consumption and an unhealthy lifestyle increase the risk. Diabetes prevention includes a balanced diet, daily physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight. In case of hereditary or already diagnosed diabetes mellitus, it is good to pay more attention!