How Sugar Intake Affects Diabetes

If you like your sugar, it would be worth reading this to see what your risk factors are for developing diabetes.

While there is no direct correlation between sugar intake and diabetes, there is much research to support a strong correlation between the two. In one study involving 165 countries, rates of diabetes were higher where there were higher levels of per capita sugar consumption.

Many studies have found that those who regularly take sugary drinks have a 25% greater risk of developing diabetes (with some attenuation when adjusted for BMI). One study showed that drinking only one sugary beverage a day increased diabetes risk by 13%.

According to Healthline, there are many direct and indirect factors that connect sugar intake to diabetes. These include:

1. Fructose’s impact on the liver, which predisposes one to fatty liver, inflammation, and insulin resistance
2. Weight gain and increased body fat
3. Disruption of the signaling of leptin (a hormone that promotes feelings of fullness), which can lead to overeating and weight gain

To make matters more complicated, there are also other health factors that affect our disposition to diabetes. These include:

1. Body weight: obesity increases our chances of getting diabetes
2. Exercise: those who are sedentary have almost twice the risk of developing diabetes as active people
3. Sleep apnea
4. Smoking
5. Genetics

Keeping this in mind, what can you do to lower your risk of developing diabetes? Here are some suggestions.

1. Cut down on your sugar intake, including all forms of processed sugars, which includes sugar of all kinds, high fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, rice syrup, honey, fruit juice concentrates, agave, molasses, sorghum, and many more. A good starting point is to have less sugary drinks.
2. Eat a whole foods diet, rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains, and nuts
3. Eat green leafy veggies
4. Exercise more
5. Have less alcohol

I invite you to cotact me for your free phone chat on ways you can decrease your risk of getting diabetes.