CAN I DEVELOP DIABETES IF I TAKE PLENTY OF SUGAR?
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition that results from a significant reduction in the amount and/function of a chemical substance called Insulin. Whenever we eat, the body breaks the food into different components, and when sugar enters into the blood, the pancreas (an organ in the abdomen) receives instructions via some signals to release Insulin, which helps in clearing sugar from circulation. An understanding of this process will help to clear the misconception about the possibility of Diabetes resulting from drinking Soda.
There are two major variants of the disease:
Type 1 is seen in the younger population (children, adolescent and young adults), and it results following a malfunction of the immune system, such that antibodies are formed in the blood against the body’s organs, particularly the pancreas. This autoimmune phenomenon can occur following a viral illness or due to some abnormalities in the genes. The cells in the Pancreas responsible for the production of Insulin are destroyed, leading to a partial or total reduction in the amount of Insulin in the body, hence a persistently high blood sugar.
Type 2 occurs more in older people and usually runs in families. It is characterized by a reduction in insulin production as well a reduction in the sensitivity of Insulin receptors. When Insulin is produced, it binds to some form of chemical gates (receptors) before it can carry out it’s activities, so if the receptors are insensitive, the Insulin is as good as useless.
From the above explanations, it is clear that consuming excess sugar has no particular role to play in the origin of the disease. However, people that have a family background of DM can hasten the onset of the illness by indulging perpetually.
It is only sensible that we refrain from excessive sugar intake as we grow older, because many bodily functions tend to slow down consistently with increasing age, coupled with the devastating effects of oxidative stress as we age.
