Is Sugar to blame given that Diabetes is a disease marked by high blood sugar?
Yes, and No – The truth is, the more sugar you ingest, whether, in the likes of, chocolate or organic honey, the more insulin your pancreas has to produce to control blood sugar levels. Over time, an overworked pancreas can become incapable of producing enough insulin for the overload, resulting in type-2 diabetes. However, excess sugar is not the only contributor; lifestyle, genetics, diet, and overweight are also causes.
Keeping Sweet
Sugar can also be good though, in that luckily, natural sugars found in whole fruits and vegetables are actually beneficial for us. Since they’re combined with fibre, water, antioxidants and other nutrients, they’re absorbed more slowly and less likely to cause blood sugar spikes. But beware sweeteners marketed as “natural” such as honey, agave syrup and coconut sugar, should be consumed in moderation like all added sugars, limited to 10% of daily consumption.
Artificial sweeteners?
The American Diabetes Association says that sugar substitutes are safe but other experts are undecided. Although there is no conclusive evidence, one study has shown that those who drink diet soda on a daily basis are 67% more likely to develop type-2 diabetes than people who don’t.
Best advice? Moderation and healthy lifestyle choices are some of the best ways to manage the intake of sugar.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/does-sugar-cause-diabetes
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317246
www.diabetes.org.uk › guide-to-diabetes ›
https://www.diabetessa.org.za/about-us/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/too-much-sugar