Does Excessive Sugar Intake Cause Type 2 Diabetes?

Diabetes isn’t just about sugar! Learn how fat buildup, stress, and lifestyle choices fuel insulin resistance and affect blood sugar levels.

Highlights:

Type 2 diabetes is primarily caused by insulin resistance, not just sugar consumption
Sedentary lifestyle, high-fat diets, and excess calories contribute significantly to diabetes risk
Stress, poor sleep, and visceral fat play a key role in blood sugar imbalance and insulin dysfunction

Diabetes is among the most common chronic lifestyle diseases. However, it is a common misconception that diabetes is exclusively diagnosed in people who enjoy sweets. Nutritionist Charmaine Ha Dominguez addressed the notion, stating that type 2 diabetes is not always caused by consuming too much sugar. "I hear this a lot from patients who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and are quite perplexed about how they got it. "Having too much sugar in your blood is a symptom of type 2 diabetes, but eating too much sugar is not always the primary cause," Dominguez explained.

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‘Did you know?
Lack of sleep can make you insulin-resistant, increasing your diabetes risk- even if you don’t consume much sugar! #diabetesmyths #sleepmatters #medindia’

What is the Primary Cause of Type 2 Diabetes?

Insulin resistance is the primary cause of type 2 diabetes (). "Insulin resistance is caused by a buildup of fatty acids in your liver and muscle cells that turn off insulin receptors, preventing insulin from effectively bringing glucose from the blood into the cells," Dominguez explained, adding that this results in high blood sugars.

"The three major factors that contribute to insulin resistance are a sedentary lifestyle, a high-fat diet, and excess consumption of calories," according to Dominguez.

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Link Between Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes

Insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes is influenced by factors such as weight, physical inactivity, and heredity (). "A person can avoid sugars but still be at risk of diabetes if they eat high-fat or fatty foods and are overweight, as this can lead to impaired insulin secretion and insulin resistance," said Dr. Manisha Arora, director of internal medicine at CK Birla Hospital in Delhi.

Furthermore, those with extra body fat, particularly visceral fat (common in Asian Indians), are at a higher risk, according to Dr. Arora. "In such instances, insulin might be retained in fat cells, leading to insulin resistance. Weight loss may help release this stored insulin back into circulation, perhaps improving diabetes control," he said.

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Stress and Sleep Impact Blood Sugar Levels

"Similarly, stress and inadequate sleep impair hormonal balance and metabolic functioning, resulting in irregular blood sugar levels," said Dr. Jinendra Jain, consultant physician at Wockhardt Hospital on Mira Road.

It's also worth noting that a sedentary lifestyle, age, and some medications- particularly steroids and some antidepressants- can all increase diabetes risk, even in the absence of excessive sugar consumption, according to Dr. Arora.

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Healthy Diet And Lifestyle Helps Keep Diabetes At Bay

One must pay attention to their nutrition and consume fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, lentils, and seeds. "Avoid junk, processed, fatty, canned, sugary, and processed meals; exercise for at least 45 minutes each day; and practice yoga and meditation to reduce stress. To keep blood sugar levels stable, one must sleep for at least eight hours per night," said to Dr. Jain.

References:

Is insulin resistance the principal cause of type 2 diabetes? - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11225637/)
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11800065/)

Source-Medindia