In case of diabetes, the patient is first told that no sugary or sweet foods can be eaten.
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 really 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 is infected with it, they have to carry it for the rest of their lives.
After eating food, 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 used 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.
“Diabetes permanently increases glucose in the human body. And if no remedy is taken, it continues to increase. As a result many complications are created”, said President of Bangladesh Diabetes Association and National Professor AK Azad Khan.
Diabetes causes not only sugar but also many other metabolic problems. However, this doctor thinks that diabetes is tested by measuring the amount of sugar in the blood, so there is more discussion about it.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, more than 53 million people in the world are affected by diabetes, and 6.7 million people die every year.
Three-quarters of the victims are citizens of low- and middle-income countries.
According to the information given in the national guidelines for diabetes treatment published by the Department of Health in 2023, Bangladesh ranks eighth in the world in terms of 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 gets type-1 diabetes for any external reason.
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.
“If someone in the family has diabetes, that person has a chance of developing diabetes. But if there is a possibility it will not happen.”
“If someone doesn’t do physical activity, loses weight, especially belly fat – then he will have diabetes,” said Dr. Khan.
Obesity can lead to diabetes.
Type 1- When someone is diagnosed with diabetes, the symptoms are seen early. If someone has this diabetes, they need to take insulin every day to survive.
A cure for type 1 diabetes has not yet been discovered.
On the other hand, the cause of type-2 diabetes is uncontrolled lifestyle.
Most of the diabetic patients 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 after adulthood.
“Type 2-Diabetes usually has no symptoms at first. Instead (inside the body) the process of various complications starts,” said National Professor Dr. eat
Type-2 diabetes can be prevented by living a healthy lifestyle such as 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, if the blood 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, sugar or sweet foods act as an indirect influence in diabetes.
“There’s no direct correlation between sugar intake and diabetes—it’s true that if you’re addicted to sweets, you’re going to die.”
“And if it is removed, it will indirectly help diabetes,” said Bangladesh Diabetic Association President and National Professor AK Azad Khan.
According to 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 get diabetes.
Be alert if you see these symptoms:
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
If you don’t eat and drink on time, the blood sugar will drop
Increased craving for sweets
Excessive weight loss for no apparent reason
Even if there is a wound or cut on the body, it does not heal for a long time
Dry, flaky and itchy skin
Irritability and irritability
Begin to see less in the eyes
Regular walking can reduce the risk of diabetes image source,
What can be done to prevent diabetes?
If someone is genetically predisposed to diabetes, there is not much that can be done. However, diabetes can be prevented if some environmental factors are followed. For example-
- Walk for an hour every day
Due to the way of living nowadays, very few people do manual labor. And this provokes the tendency to get diabetes.
Dr. Khan said, for this, you should walk for at least one hour every day. In addition, regular exercise habits should be developed. Sports can be extended.
- Change 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.
- Quit smoking and drinking
The bad habits that must be eliminated first to prevent diabetes include smoking and drinking. Because they increase the chances of getting diabetes.
- Avoid unhealthy foods
Common sweets, processed foods, fast food, soft drinks, 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 or 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.
- Monitor blood sugar levels
Children whose close relatives have a history of diabetes should be screened at least once a year.
Also, lipid profile and blood cholesterol levels should be checked at least once a year.
As a result, diabetes will be detected quickly.
However, despite all efforts, some may develop diabetes. In that case, if the affected person keeps diabetes under complete control, then he can live a healthy and normal life, said Dr. eat
