Sweets contain a lot of sugar, which causes weight gain and affects health - Illustration image
Does eating sweets cause diabetes?
According to Dr. Bui Thi Thuy, head of the adult nutrition counseling department at the National Institute of Nutrition, it cannot be said that simply eating sugar or a sweet food will cause diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with many factors, including age, being overweight, lack of physical activity, a high-calorie diet, and individual predisposition.
However, regularly consuming large amounts of sugary foods and drinks can increase the total energy intake, contributing to weight gain and metabolic disorders. These are factors that increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In particular, the disease can progress silently for a long time. Many people have no obvious symptoms and only discover it during a health check-up or when their blood sugar has already risen high.
Therefore, instead of just focusing on whether or not someone is consuming sugar, it's necessary to look at their overall diet, calorie intake, activity level, and individual risk factors.
Experts advise that to prevent disease, it's not necessary to completely avoid sweets and starches, but rather to maintain a balanced diet and exercise routine. - Photo: HOANG LE
Having diabetes doesn't mean you have to completely avoid sweets.
Upon learning they have high blood sugar or diabetes, many people immediately skip meals, avoid fruits, fast, or eliminate almost all sweet foods.
According to Dr. Thuy, this is not the appropriate approach. "Reducing sugar intake" does not mean "fasting." Patients still need to maintain a nutritious, balanced diet that is suitable for their health condition.
It's important to control carbohydrate and total energy intake; limit sweets, soft drinks, milk tea, desserts, and other sugary foods. At the same time, increase your intake of green vegetables, choose minimally processed foods, and ensure adequate protein and healthy fats.
Fruits don't necessarily have to be eliminated completely. Patients can choose suitable types, eat them in moderation, and distribute them appropriately throughout the day.
It's better to eat whole fruits rather than drink juice. When juiced, we can easily consume a large amount of fruit in a short time without feeling correspondingly full.
For those accustomed to drinking coffee or tea with sugar, gradually reducing the amount of sugar is a good idea instead of trying to quit immediately. Limiting the amount of sweets and sugary drinks stocked at home can also help reduce habitual eating.
A single cake might seem insignificant, but if you eat one after every meal, add another cake while drinking tea or watching TV, and have a dessert in the evening, the total amount of sugar and energy consumed throughout the day will no longer be small.
Dr. Thuy further warned that diabetes can progress silently. If blood sugar is not well controlled for a long time, the disease can affect the cardiovascular system, kidneys, eyes, nerves, and feet.
Therefore, older adults and those with risk factors should have regular health checkups and blood sugar tests to detect abnormalities early.
For those diagnosed with diabetes, diet is only one part of the treatment process. Patients need to take their medication as prescribed, monitor their blood sugar, and have regular check-ups.
In particular, you should not increase, decrease, or stop your medication on your own just because you feel better or see that your blood sugar levels have decreased.