The “Eating Too Much Sugar” Disease

Diabetes. What does it mean to you? Probably nothing, unless you have a close friend or relative who is diabetic, or unless you are a diabetic yourself. A lot of people know someone who is diabetic, and yet they still don’t know how Diabetes is caused, or why Diabetes has to be managed the way that it is. 

I am a type-one diabetic. I have some friends that I have had for a few years that are still not aware that I am a diabetic, because I try to keep it on the down-low. I’m not embarrassed by my disease by any means, but I usually try to avoid talking about it because Diabetes is a lot to explain to someone who does not know the basic dynamics of it. I also would rather not complain about my disease, because there are diseases that are a lot worse out there.  

 

There are simply too many preconceived notions about the word “Diabetes.”  Typically, when I tell someone that I am a diabetic, they assume that I am because I used to eat too much sugar, or because I was not able to control my weight as a child. Although I love food and sugary desserts more than anyone, my Diabetes was not caused by eating too much sugar, or from being overweight at some point in my life.

In addition, there is a connotation that diabetics are not allowed to eat any sugar. There was a party that I had gone to during my freshman year of high school, and the host's parents were home for it. My mother told the girl's parents that I was a diabetic, because she was worried about me and wanted them to be aware of my disease. When it came time for cake, the parents made a big deal about my Diabetes and acted as if I was not able to have a slice of cake. I have been put in this type of situation multiple times since I was diagnosed seven years ago.

People do not always understand that Diabetes is not a disease that forbids people to enjoy sugar at all costs; it’s not like diabetic bodies reject sugar. Sugar just raises their blood sugar, also known as a person's blood glucose level. Everyone’s blood sugar gets higher after they eat; diabetics just have to take an injection of insulin to lower their blood sugar while normal people’s bodies produce insulin themselves. It seems to be a belief among older generations that diabetics should not be able to eat much sugar, maybe because insulin technology has not always been as good as it is today.

Anyway, it would be absolutely impossible to completely avoid sugar. There are forms sugar in things that people don’t even realize that it’s in, like ketchup, salad dressing, white bread, soy milk, crackers, and frozen food entrees. Also, carbohydrates eventually break down in the body to the simplest form of sugar, glucose. Carbohydrates are found in potatoes, pizza, rice, fruits, vegetables, cereal, crackers, potato chips, pasta, breads, and so many more foods. So, everything is essentially made up of sugar, since carbohydrates are treated as sugar by the body. Glucose is the body’s main energy source, so life would not be possible if one did not eat foods with carbohydrates and sugar in them. If a diabetic needs a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down, “so be it,” that is perfectly fine! 

What Diabetes is not has been discussed quite a bit so far. So now, it is time for some information about what Diabetes is. Well, there are two types of Diabetes, type one and type two; they are very creatively named, I know. People that have type-one Diabetes have pancreases that are not able to produce insulin whatsoever. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, “Type 1 diabetes is caused by a lack of insulin due to the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. In type 1 diabetes—an autoimmune disease—the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells.”

When people eat something, the carbohydrates in the food, including the sugar, get broken down into the simplest form of sugar, glucose. Glucose ends up making its way into one’s bloodstream. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas, and its function is to help the body use or store blood glucose as energy. (American Diabetes Association) In a normal person, the pancreas releases enough insulin to allow the glucose to leave the bloodstream and enter body cells.

Since type-one diabetics don’t have functioning pancreases, they have to take injections of insulin to make up for the carbohydrates that they eat. They can either take shots of insulin after every meal or snack that they eat, or they can get an insulin pump.

Insulin injections can get tedious for a diabetic to do day-in and day-out. I know this personally. Back when I did shots, I could not wait to get to the end of each and every day, just to be able to be done with shots for the day. With an average of four to five shots a day being taken, a great toll is taken on the body.

An alternative to taking shots is a type-one diabetic getting an insulin pump. Insulin pumps are worn constantly on the body, and the site in which the needle is injected into is changed every three days. It’s great for a diabetic to be able to not inject themselves with a needle multiple times per day. I currently have an OmniPod Insulin pump, which is a newer-end pump that does not have any tubing that connects the handheld unit to the unit that is worn on my body, as opposed to most other insulin pumps that do still use tubing.

Type-one diabetics can pretty much eat whatever they wish to. All they have to do is make up for the amount of carbohydrates that they eat with enough insulin. I remember the day I got diagnosed with Diabetes. My doctor said to me, “you can eat whatever you want.” I was definitely relieved by that statement, and I will always remember it. While foods with high amounts of sugar spike your blood glucose level, that does not necessarily mean that they are terrible for your long-term average of blood sugars.

 

Earlier, I talked about how people connect the word “Diabetes” with being overweight, or eating too much. This relates more to Type-two Diabetes. Type-two is the much more common type of Diabetes. People with type-two have pancreases that are still functioning, but the body either does not use insulin properly or there is not enough insulin being made for the eating habits that the person has. (American Diabetes Association)

“Type-two diabetes develops most often in middle-aged and older people who are also overweight or obese” according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. They also claim that, “physical inactivity and obesity are strongly associated with the development of type 2 diabetes. An imbalance between caloric intake and physical activity can lead to obesity, which causes insulin resistance and is common in people with type-two diabetes. Insulin resistance is a common condition in people who are overweight or obese, have excess abdominal fat, and are not physically active. Muscle, fat, and liver cells stop responding properly to insulin, forcing the pancreas to compensate by producing extra insulin.” This is why Diabetes is associated with people that are overweight or that eat too much sugar for the insulin that their body is physically able to make. 

Type-two Diabetes is way more common than type-one, so people just assume that type-two is the only type of Diabetes, because they are uninformed about type-one. Type-two can be treated by adjusting diet and exercise to resemble a healthier lifestyle, and there are also some oral medications that can help control it.
 

Type-one and type-two Diabetes are very different, as well as very similar in different ways. They both have to deal with the body’s production of insulin, but they have different causes and treatments. Although there is not a complete cure for either type of Diabetes yet, technology has provided diabetics with different treatment options that allow them to live a normal, healthy life. It is important for all diabetics to monitor their blood glucose levels multiple times a day and for them to see a doctor regularly regarding medication dosages.

According to the American Diabetes Association, in January of 2011 there were 25.8 million diabetics in the United States, most of which were type-two diabetics. Chances are, you know someone with Diabetes. Hopefully now you have a better idea of what Diabetes is not and what it actually is. Eat healthy and exercise as much as possible to avoid type-two Diabetes! Also remember to stay positive and don't take small things like your functioning pancreas for granted!

Citations:

Insulin Pump Picture- http://www.designbuzz.com/omnipod-insulin-management-system-living-easier-diabetes/

Picture of sugar- http://quantumleapwellness.com/blog.html/news/diabetes-mass-destruction/

Candy picture- http://berrybreeze.com/2013/07/25/hidden-dangers-processed-food/