Surprising facts about sugar and diabetes

Type 2 diabetes occurs when blood levels of glucose, or blood sugar, become chronically elevated. Consuming sugar makes blood sugar levels rise, so it seems logical that eating candy, cakes, and cookies would cause diabetes. But it doesn't — at least not directly. Here are some myths and facts that recent studies are showing.

Many experts (though not all) have pointed their fingers at diets with a high glycemic index (GI) as a main culprit behind an epidemic of insulin resistance, a core problem in type 2 diabetes. The GI is a measure of how much the carbohydrate in a food raises blood sugar. When you eat foods that cause a steep rise in blood sugar, your body churns out more insulin to "process" that blood sugar. Over time, repeated floods of insulin make the body less sensitive to the hormone, leading to a condition called insulin resistance — and so the path to diabetes begins.

Refined grains (like white bread) and starches (like potatoes) actually have a higher glycemic index value than sugar does. Still, certain sugar sources may not be entirely off the hook. An emerging theory suggested by a handful of experts holds that fructose, a component of table sugar, may cause insulin resistance. Fructose, in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, is abundant in many soft drinks and commercially processed foods.

Eating too many sweets — or potatoes, pork chops or peanut butter sandwiches — can lead to weight gain, and well-established science indicates that becoming overweight or obese raises the odds of developing type 2 diabetes.

Scientists have long thought that sugar had a direct impact on diabetes, but recent research suggest the matter could be more complex. Studies have failed to produce consistent evidence that links a sweet tooth with Type 2 diabetes. However there are preventative measures you can take with your diet to fight off Type 2 diabetes.