Does eating too much sugar cause diabetes?

For those who like sweet foods, the question has surely already crossed their minds: can excess sugar, linked to their consumption, cause diabetes? Here is the answer.

Candy, soda, pastries, chocolate, industrial cakes and even other products that you would think are salty, such as industrial tomato sauce or ketchup, contain sugar. A real poison for some, comfort food for others, sugar divides. But what are its effects on health? Can eating too much sugar trigger diabetes? Explanations.

Diabetes, sugar disease

We speak of diabetes in an individual when their body is not able to eliminate the sugar ingested and their blood sugar, that is to say their blood sugar level, increases. This happens when the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin – the hormone that helps lower blood sugar levels – is no longer able to produce enough of it. This is also the case when cells become resistant to insulin.

Generally, there are two main types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes, which affects 10% of patients and which is an autoimmune disease, with destruction of pancreatic cells by the body, and type 2 diabetes, which affects the vast majority of patients, mainly due to an unbalanced diet and a sedentary lifestyle.

Does eating a lot of sugar make you diabetic?

Knowing this, the question that we can naturally ask is the following: is eating too much sugar a behavior likely to make a subject diabetic? The answer is yes, even if looking at the question from this angle only partially answers the problem.

Eating high amounts of sugar can make an individual more predisposed to developing diabetes, but that’s not the only variable to consider.

Different elements linked to the onset of diabetes

Other factors such as overall diet, lifestyle and genetics come into play. But several studies show, in the case of type 2 diabetes, that regular consumption of sugary drinks increases the risk of developing the disease. The cause and effect link is not direct, but there is a strong association between the two.

Consuming high amounts of sugar may also indirectly increase the risk of diabetes by contributing to weight gain and higher cholesterol levels, both of which are risk factors for developing diabetes.

What are the risks and how can you avoid developing diabetes?

High blood sugar levels are not without consequences. This can increase the risk of developing heart disease, but also causes damage to the arteries, nerves and kidneys. To minimize the risk of developing diabetes, a few simple rules can be applied:

Favor natural sugars found in fruits and vegetables. Because they’re combined with fiber, water, and other nutrients, they’re digested more slowly and are less likely to spike your blood sugar;
Sugar is not always called that on ultra-processed products. Learn to recognize it on food labels;
Strongly limit your consumption of sugary drinks, the main sources of sugar in the diet;
Take care of your diet, with regular consumption of fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, seeds, lean proteins and coffee, as sugar-free coffee has been proven to help reduce the risk of developing diabetes ;
Avoid consuming alcohol as much as possible;
Practice regular, moderate physical activity for at least 150 minutes, or two and a half hours per week, or thirty minutes per day during the week.