What sugar causes diabetes?

Many people want to figure out, is diabetes caused by eating too much sugar? What kind of "sugar" causes diabetes?

"Sugar" comes in many forms

Carbohydrates are collectively called sugars. Chemically, they can be roughly divided into polysaccharides, disaccharides, and monosaccharides. Polysaccharides and disaccharides cannot be directly absorbed into the human bloodstream; they must be converted into monosaccharides by enzymes in the small intestine before absorption. The blood sugar and urine sugar tested in diabetic patients are glucose, which is a monosaccharide.

Don't think that glucose in the blood of diabetic patients is the "culprit." It is the elevation of glucose that leads to the "glycation" of various tissue proteins, ultimately causing various complications. In fact, glucose is an important substance that provides energy to organs and tissues, especially the brain. A lack of glucose in the blood can cause a person to fall into a coma.

Common sugars come in many forms, such as powdered sugar, granulated sugar, rock sugar, and brown sugar. Their scientific name is sucrose, which is a disaccharide. Starch in grains is a polysaccharide. Fructose is also a monosaccharide. It exists in large quantities in the pulp of fruits and honey in a free state, and can combine with glucose to form sucrose. The "sugar" that causes diabetes is not the sugar used as a seasoning (sucrose).

Is diabetes caused by eating too much sugar

This is a big misconception. Generally, people think that since there is too much "sugar" in the blood and it spills out in the urine, diabetes must be caused by eating too much sugar. In fact, even if you eat more sucrose, as long as the pancreatic function is normal and enough insulin can be secreted, this sugar can still be metabolized by insulin to maintain normal blood sugar. Of course, eating too much sucrose can have an indirect effect on the onset of diabetes, because sucrose also produces energy, and excess energy leads to obesity, which is an important factor in causing diabetes.

Can diabetic patients eat sugar

It is widely believed that diabetic patients cannot eat sugar, with the reason being "eating too much sugar causes diabetes." This is why there are so many sugar-free mooncakes, sugar-free biscuits, sugar-free milk powder, etc. If you eat glucose, it can immediately raise blood sugar, which is of course not allowed. But what if you eat sucrose or starch (polysaccharides)?

Dozens of scientists have conducted long-term (28 days) or short-term studies on this. They divided diabetic patients into two groups: one group had a sucrose-free diet, and the other group had the same calorie intake, but with sucrose replacing some starch. The results showed that the blood sugar levels of the two groups were the same. Of course, if sucrose is added on top of the original calorie intake, it will raise blood sugar. Therefore, the key to blood sugar control is to control the total calorie intake, not whether it is sucrose (disaccharide) or starch (polysaccharide). Therefore, "sugar phobia" is not scientifically based.

We do not advocate eating too much sucrose, because first, it can cause obesity and cavities, and second, when people eat sugar, they are often eating sweets like cream, chocolate, and ice cream, which contain a lot of saturated fat, and saturated fat is harmful to human health, especially cardiovascular health.

Does eating sugar become addictive

Some people明知 (know full well) that eating too much sugar will make them fat, making them look unattractive and inconvenient to move, but they can't help but eat it. Therefore, some people think it's an addiction. In fact, liking sweet food is innate in humans.

Early primitive humans had this wisdom—they knew that sweet fruits were ripe and eating them could provide energy. Even a fetus in the mother's uterus is the same. For example, to treat polyhydramnios, a sweet substance can be injected into the amniotic fluid. At this time, the fetus will drink more amniotic fluid and excrete it through the umbilical cord, placenta, and mother's kidneys. Another example is that infants drinking sweet liquids can have a natural pain-relieving effect. Therefore, liking sweet food cannot be considered an addiction because stopping it does not produce symptoms like a drug withdrawal.

Does sugar raise blood lipids

Research suggests that eating too much fructose (in fruits and honey) can raise blood lipids, so even though fructose is very sweet, it is not suitable for use as a seasoning. Recently, an article in the *Journal of the American Medical Association* suggested that eating too much sucrose can raise triglycerides and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This is not caused by obesity. However, this research needs further confirmation.

Can sugar substitutes be eaten

There are many sugar substitutes on the market. Some sugar substitutes can produce a certain amount of calories, but less than sucrose, such as xylitol. There are also many zero-calorie sugar substitutes, such as saccharin, aspartame, and sodium cyclamate. These sugar substitutes have their own pros and cons. For example, aspartame cannot be heated, as it decomposes when heated, so it cannot be used in general food processing and cooking. Some people may experience diarrhea after consuming xylitol. In addition, many people believe that food additives in sugar substitutes are harmful. Although this is controversial, they should be safe when used within the dose limits set by the government. Some people use honey to replace sucrose. These natural products also have a certain amount of calories, but because they are sweeter, they can be used in small amounts.

In conclusion, there is no need to "fear sugar" or suffer from "sugar phobia," but you should not eat too much sucrose. Using it as a seasoning in moderation is acceptable. The key is to control the total dietary calories. The American Heart Association recommends that men should not consume more than 9 teaspoons (150 kcal) of sucrose per day, and women should not consume more than 6 teaspoons (100 kcal) per day.

These amounts of sucrose include the sucrose content in the main and side foods we consume every day. Everyone should develop the habit of checking the sucrose content on food labels when buying food and controlling the total food calories. Diabetic patients should pay special attention to this!

For diagnosing diabetes, should you test "fasting blood sugar" or "postprandial blood sugar"

A person's blood sugar fluctuates within 24 hours, especially after meals, while it is relatively stable at night.