While we know that sugar doesn't directly cause type 2 diabetes, you're more likely to get it if you're overweight. You gain weight when you eat more calories than your body needs, and sugary foods and drinks contain a lot of calories. We have already seen that being overweight or obese are risk factors for type 2 diabetes and that eating too much sugar can contribute to this. Over time, your overworked pancreas will break down and your blood sugar levels will rise, setting you up for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Reducing the amount of added sugar in the diet could have a number of health benefits, including reducing some risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Another review of studies found that consuming one daily serving of beverages with added sugar increased people's risk of diabetes by 13 to 18%. Effects of artificial sweetener consumption on glucose homeostasis and its association with type 2 diabetes and obesity. In fact, a recent large-scale study showed that eating more fruit is associated with a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes often appears early in life and is not related to dietary or lifestyle factors, so you can't get it from eating too much sugar. And a larger, long-term study showed that drinking diet soda could be linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Dietary sugar doesn't directly cause type 2 diabetes, but eating too much sugar can contribute to risk factors for type 2 diabetes. In addition, countries where sugar consumption is highest also have the highest rates of type 2 diabetes, while those with the lowest consumption have the lowest rates (1).
However, those who had consumed fructose beverages experienced a number of changes related to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. While one person may experience a large increase in blood sugar after eating a particular food, another may have a more moderate response. Find out which foods are good if you have diabetes and which you should avoid, as well as what the latest tests say. If left uncontrolled, diabetes can damage the kidneys, preventing them from doing their job of filtering waste from the blood.
Added sugars, especially those in sugar-sweetened beverages, are closely related to the development of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes usually takes some time to develop and is strongly influenced by diet and other lifestyle factors.
