A friend of mine with a family history of diabetes tends to sugar binge. She isn't overweight, she thinks she should lose 10lb but its probably more about toning from where I am standing. Her grandfather and aunt both had diabetes. Is she increasing her risks of getting it with the sugar binges? I think she does it at least once a month.
f1le_f0und
Favorite Answer
To answer your question, the jury is still out on that one. We know diabetes to be related to an increase in resistin production, which is produced by adipose tissue (fat cells) indirectly in response to sugar intake. At the same time, we also know that insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes) occurs more often in people who eat large quantities of sugar and/or who are overweight. However, neither of these directly associate sugar intake to diabetes (only indirectly). But when we look at the physiological facts, sugar increases insulin release leading to storage of sugar as fat and adipose tissue generation, we should expect that binging on sugar could lead to insulin independent diabetes.
Carla
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Virgil
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squeak_1974
Eating a lot of sugar can not cause you to develop type 1 diabetes. Although some people are born with type 1, some get it later in life, (I was 6, but I have friends who were in their 20's when they were diagnoised).
There is no real scientific data as to why type 1 develops although some researchers think that it is caused by a virus. Insulin normally is made by beta cells in the pancreas. For unknown reasons, type 1 diabetes develops because the body destroys the beta cells.
Type 2 is a whole different ballgame. If your friend has a family history, she should get screened by her doctor. Binging on sugar doesn't cause diabetes, but the overproduction of insulin caused by the binging may factor into her developing the disease. Unfortunately diabetes is so unpredictable as to how does and does not get it, it's really anyone's guess.
sloop_sailor
According to the American Diabetes Association, eating sugar does not increase the chances of becoming diabetic. The main causes of diabetes are genetics and obesity. You say your friend is not overweight, but because of her genetic links, she is at a higher risk of type two adult onset diabetes later in life. It is my guess that this is the type her aunt and grandfather had. She would be wise to have periodic glucose checks as a precautionary measure. That is not to say that everyone who has a relative with diabetes will get it. I had a great uncle(my grandmother's brother) who was diabetic. Of all of my aunts, uncles, sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins, second cousins, I was am only one to have diabetes(diagnosed at the age of 35).