Healthcare professionals first advise individuals with diabetes to avoid consuming sugary or sweet foods.
And this is exactly why there is a common belief that one of the biggest causes of diabetes is eating too much sugary food. But how true is this idea? Does eating too much sugar cause diabetes?
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a physical condition that causes the blood sugar level of the affected person to be too high. Once someone contracts diabetes, they must manage it for the rest of their lives.
After eating, the body breaks down the sugars in the food into sugar (glucose). And it provides energy to the body.
However, in diabetes, the sugar that the cells of the body use to turn into fuel or energy starts to accumulate in the blood instead of the cells. The result is diabetes.
As defined by the International Diabetes Federation, diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body cannot produce the hormone insulin effectively.
In cases of diabetes, the glucose in the human body increases permanently. If no remedy is taken, the glucose in the human body continues to increase. As a result, many complications are created”, said Bangladesh Diabetes Association President and National Professor AK Azad Khan.
If you have diabetes, not only sugar but many other metabolic problems are created. However, this doctor believes that measuring the amount of sugar in the blood is the test for diabetes, leading to further discussion.
The International Diabetes Federation reports that diabetes affects more than 53 million people worldwide, resulting in 6.7 million deaths annually.
Three-quarters of the victims are citizens of low- and middle-income countries.
According to the National Guidelines for Diabetes Treatment published by the Department of Health in 2023, Bangladesh ranks eighth globally in the number of people with diabetes.
The number of people suffering from diabetes in Bangladesh is about 1 crore 31 lakh. Among them, 14.2 percent of people between the ages of 20 and 80 are suffering from this disease.
How many types of diabetes are there?
Diabetes is mainly of two types. These are type-1 diabetes and type-2 diabetes.
Type-1 diabetes is mainly genetic or hereditary. No one develops type-1 diabetes due to external factors.
According to the CDC website of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an autoimmune reaction causes a person to develop type 1 diabetes. That is, the body mistakenly attacks itself.
As a result, the body stops producing insulin itself.
About 5 to 10 percent of people with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. A person can get this type at any age.
Dr. Azad Khan said, ‘If someone in one’s family has diabetes, that means that person is at risk of developing diabetes. But if there is a possibility, it will not happen.’
He said, ‘If someone does not do physical work and gets fat especially the stomach, then he will have diabetes.’
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes appear early after diagnosis. If someone has this diabetes, they need to take insulin every day to survive.
Researchers have not yet discovered a way to prevent type 1 diabetes.
On the other hand, the cause of type 2 diabetes is an uncontrolled lifestyle.
According to CDC estimates, 90 to 95 percent of people with diabetes are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. According to CDC estimates, it’s 90 to 95 percent.
This type of diabetes usually develops over many years and is diagnosed in adulthood.
Professor Azad Khan said, ‘Type 2 diabetes usually has no symptoms at the beginning. Instead (inside the body), the process of various complications starts.’
Type-2 diabetes can be prevented by living a healthy lifestyle, such as by keeping a low weight, eating a healthy diet, and being active.
What kind of complications can occur due to diabetes?
High blood sugar can cause serious damage to blood vessels.
If the blood cannot flow properly in the body and cannot reach the places where it is needed, the risk of nerve damage increases.
As a result, people can lose their eyesight. Infection can occur in the feet.
According to the World Health Organization, diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, etc.
What is the relationship between sugar and diabetes?
There is no direct link between high sugar intake and diabetes. However, sugary or sweet foods act as an indirect influence on diabetes.
“There’s no direct correlation between sugar consumption and diabetes; it’s true that if you’re used to eating too much sugar, you might end up dying,” he says.
He said, ‘And if it is removed, it will indirectly help diabetes.’
According to the US health website Medical News Today, eating too much sugar does not directly cause diabetes.
But it can increase the risk of other health problems related to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
As a result, that person can easily develop diabetes.
Be careful if you see all the signs:
Diabetes generally lowers the immune system of people. As a result, even if there are no specific symptoms, the presence of certain characteristics in the body can indicate diabetes. For example-
* Frequent urination and thirst
* Feeling weak and dizzy
* Increased appetite
* Decrease in blood sugar if not eating and drinking on time
* Increased craving for sweets
* Excessive weight loss without any reason
* Even if there is a wound or cut on the body, it does not heal for a long time.
* Dry, crusty, and itchy skin Irritability and irritability
* Starting to see less in the eyes
How can we prevent diabetes?
There is not much that can be done if someone is genetically predisposed to diabetes. However, following certain environmental factors can prevent diabetes. For example-
1. Walk for an hour every day.
Due to the way people live nowadays, very few people do manual labor. And this provokes the tendency to get diabetes.
Dr. Khan said that for this, you should walk for at least one hour every day. Furthermore, individuals should cultivate regular exercise habits. One should extend their sports activities.
2. Change your lifestyle.
Also, those who have a family or parental history of diabetes should change their lifestyle before they develop the disease.
For example, eating regular meals, waking up in the morning and going to sleep at night according to the rules, reducing the use of vehicles and increasing walking, avoiding sweets, fast food, and oily food, etc.
3. Quit smoking and drinking.
To prevent diabetes, it is important to eliminate bad habits such as smoking and drinking. Because they increase the risk of diabetes.
4. Avoid unhealthy foods.
Common sweets, processed foods, fast food, soft drinks, and heavy meals greatly increase the risk of obesity. As a result, the weight of the body should be taken care of so as not to be overweight.
That’s why experts recommend avoiding such foods as much as possible.
In addition, do not eat a full meal and eat small amounts with breaks.
5. Monitor blood sugar levels.
Screen children whose close relatives have a history of diabetes at least once a year.
Also, lipid profiles and blood cholesterol levels should be checked at least once a year.
As a result, healthcare providers will be able to detect diabetes quickly.
However, despite all efforts, some may develop diabetes. In that case, if the affected person keeps diabetes under complete control, then he can lead a healthy and normal life, said Dr. Azad Khan.
Source: BBC
