SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/diab-myth-sugar

Myth or fact: eating sugar by itself causes diabetes.

Myth. Diabetes has many causes, and sugar alone isn't the cause.

  1. Fact, sugar is the main cause
  2. Fact, but only for type 1
  3. Myth, it's more complicated than that ✔

Why: Type 1 is autoimmune, and type 2 involves many factors like family history, age and activity. Sugary drinks are linked to higher type 2 risk, so sugar can play a part, but it isn't the single cause.

Huh, didn't know that: Diabetes isn't contagious. You can't catch it from someone like a cold.

The dad joke
What's a myth? A female moth.
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Sources

  1. MedlinePlus, Diabetes myths and facts https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000964.htm
  2. ADA, Know Your Facts About Diabetes https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/diabetes-myths
  3. ADA, Know Your Facts About Diabetes https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/diabetes-myths

Test yourself in the game

Health BasicsSomeone calls type 2 'just a touch of sugar,' a mild kind of diabetes. Is that right?Health BasicsIf someone with type 2 diabetes starts insulin, does that mean they failed?Health BasicsMyth or fact: people with diabetes can never eat sugar or sweets.

That's stuff everyone should know.