Diabetes, also known as Diabetes Mellitus is described as metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin.
Diabetes is a Complex Metabolism Disease. It can affect your life in many ways. As a result, there is a whole host of myths, misrepresentations and misunderstandings around diabetes. Even those who do their best to be well-informed have misconceptions about it. And wrong conceptions about diabetes affect how people take care of themselves or the quality of life they lead.
Here, we highlight the most common diabetes myths, for you to live a healthier life.
MYTH – 1: DIABETES IS CAUSED BY CONSUMING TOO MUCH SUGAR!
FACT: Ah, the age-old belief that a sweet tooth leads to diabetes. But hold up! It’s time to bust this myth. While it’s true that excessive sugar consumption isn’t ideal for anyone’s health, it doesn’t directly cause diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, and Type 2 diabetes is influenced by genetics, lifestyle, and various factors.
Eating sugar does not cause diabetes. But you should still cut back on sweets and sugary beverages. This confusion may come from the fact that when you eat food, it is converted into a sugar called glucose. Glucose, also called blood sugar, is a source of energy for the body. Insulin moves glucose from the blood into the cells so it can be used for energy. With diabetes, the body does not make enough insulin, or the body does not use insulin well. As a result, the extra sugar stays in the blood, so the blood glucose (blood sugar) level increases.
For people who do not have diabetes, the main problem with eating a lot of sugar and drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is that it can make you overweight. And being overweight does increase your risk for diabetes.
MYTH – 2: WITH DIABETES, PREGNANCY IS NOT POSSIBLE
FACT: People are worried about the risk to themselves and their child or that they can’t become pregnant at all, particularly in those with Type 1 but that’s just not true anymore. This myth stems from a time when diabetes was poorly controlled and understood. Complications like preterm birth arise if you are not cautious in maintaining your sugar level. With proper care and monitoring, normal pregnancies might be possible.
MYTH – 3: NO ONE IN MY FAMILY HAS DIABETES, SO I CAN’T GET IT
FACT: Having a close family member with type 2 diabetes does put you at increased risk for developing the condition. But the risk of diabetes goes up with age and is higher in people with heart disease, high blood pressure, and who have excess weight or obesity, regardless of family history. Women who delivered babies are also at a higher risk of developing the disease.
MYTH – 4: PEOPLE WITH DIABETES SHOULDN’T EAT CARBOHYDRATES OR SUGARY FOODS
FACT: Carbs get a bad rap. The truth is, they’re an important building block of nutrition for everyone, whether they have diabetes or don’t. People with diabetes can safely include carbohydrates (and to a lesser extent, sugars) in their meals.
However, it’s important to plan ahead to avoid sudden changes in your blood sugars. One approach might be to eat about the same amount of carbohydrates at each meal. A nutritionist can help you figure out how to include these foods in your meals.
MYTH – 5: DIABETES HAPPENS ONLY TO FAT/ OBESE PEOPLE
FACT: It’s not just overweight or obesity that matters in diabetes. You may be lean, but have belly fat. Research shows that more than body fat, diabetes is determined by where the fat is. For example liver and pancreatic fat seem to be most important ectopic fats (fat in the wrong places) which predisposes to diabetes. This is why waist size matters in diabetes: the bigger your waist, the more belly fat you are likely to have and that increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes along with heart disease, stroke, and other blood vessel disorders. Around 20 percent people with type 2 diabetes are of a normal weight, or underweight. In fact, Indians have a higher percentage of body fat and intra abdominal fat, when compared to the Western populations of a similar body mass index. Indians seem to carry more weight around the abdomen and do not produce enough insulin. As a result, “thin fat Indians” form majority of the diabetes population in the sub-continent.