Sugar is often portrayed as a villain or main culprit when the topic of diabetes comes up.

While sugar does play an important role in the context of this condition, several misconceptions exist about people with diabetes being able to consume sugar.

People with diabetes can eat food and drink beverages that contain sugar. But just like everything, moderation is key.

This article will give you more information about the role that sugar plays in diabetes and glucose management, and how to approach it in appropriate and balanced ways.

Clinical guidelines or recommendations about anything, including sugar consumption by people with diabetes, are just that: guidelines. They are meant to guide many people to stay as healthy as possible.

Expert opinions differ on how much sugar is recommended each day.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mentions that the average intake of added sugars was 17 teaspoons per day or 19 teaspoons for men and 15 teaspoons for women for Americans ages 20 and over in 2018.

If youre used to eating a lot of sugar, you may want to reduce your intake to help manage blood glucose levels and keep them in target range.

Of course, everyone is different. Your weight, activity level, nutritional needs, and your bodys reaction to factors that affect your blood sugar levels will differ from those of another person with diabetes.

You and your diabetes care team should discuss your situation, including your history of managing your blood sugar levels, to determine how much sugar you can eat in a typical day. This can vary, too, depending on what type of diabetes you have and any medications you take.

Some people may worry that eating sugar will lead to diabetes, but diabetes is much more complex. Plus, your body does need some sugar to function. According to the National Institutes of Health, one type of sugar called glucose is an important source of fuel for your body and your brain.

The sugar in your body comes, in part, from carbohydrates. After you eat, your body breaks down the food you eat as youre digesting, which sends glucose into your bloodstream.

Simple carbohydrates like candy or fruit break down quickly, sending a quick burst of sugar into your bloodstream. More complex carbohydrates like pasta break down more slowly and deliver a steadier dose of sugar over time.

If you dont have diabetes, your pancreas will respond to the influx of sugar by releasing a hormone called insulin, which works to move that sugar out of your blood and into your cells to use as fuel.

However, if you have diabetes, your pancreas may not respond by producing enough (or any, in some cases) insulin to do the job. The sugar can build up in your bloodstream, which can eventually damage your blood vessels and cause other complications.

Its a common misconception that people with diabetes need to give up sugar and go sugar-free for the rest of their lives.

In other words, yes, people with diabetes actually can still eat sugar. They can eat foods with added sugars and also other foods containing carbohydrates that get broken down into sugar inside the body.

People with diabetes need to be careful about how much sugar they consume. The key word is moderation, according to the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists.

Limiting sugar content overall is a smart choice. A few commonly recommended strategies include:

You can also learn how to count carbohydrates. Many people with diabetes count carbs to help them keep track of what theyre eating so they can manage their blood sugar levels better.

According to the CDC, if you are overweight, you may help reverse prediabetes and delay or prevent type 2 diabetes by shedding 5% to 7% of your body weight. As this is not the only way to prevent type 2 diabetes and it may not be necessary for everyone, its best to speak with your doctor first.

If you have diabetes, you dont have to resign yourself to a life without sugar. But you do need to be mindful of how much sugar you consume and how it affects your ability to control your glucose levels.

This includes not only sugary sweets but beverages and anything with carbohydrates, as those convert into sugar in your body. Your diabetes care team can help you design a plan that helps you achieve a healthy balance.

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How Much Sugar Is Allowed for People with Diabetes? - Healthline

Maria Ramos-Roman, M.D., Associate Professor of Internal Medicine

DALLAS Sept. 1, 2022 Breastfeeding offers a wealth of benefits both for mothers and their babies. Although diabetes can complicate the process, it does not prevent mothers from giving their babies this wonderful start to life, according to UTSouthwestern endocrinologist Maria Ramos-Roman, M.D., Associate Professor of Internal Medicine.

Three common forms of diabetes are: type 1, an autoimmune condition that typically develops in youth; type 2, a condition that is traditionally diagnosed in adults but that also affects younger individuals; and gestational diabetes, which develops during pregnancy. About half of women who develop gestational diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Diabetes can impact breastfeeding in a variety of ways, said Dr. Ramos-Roman. For example, it can lengthen the time before some mothers establish milk production. Breastfeeding can also change maternal blood sugar patterns throughout the day. Mothers who require medical therapy for diabetes may need less medication during breastfeeding to prevent dips in blood sugar.

To combat these issues, its especially important for mothers with diabetes to meet with a lactation consultant soon after birth and learn techniques to give their breastfeeding journey the best start. Mothers with diabetes should also continue to monitor blood sugar and discuss with their health care team how to adjust their medical treatment for diabetes during the postpartum period, said Dr. Ramos-Roman. Medications typically used to treat diabetes, such as insulin and metformin, are not harmful to breastfed babies and may be necessary for mothers to maintain proper glucose control. Similarly, sticking to a healthy diet can help stabilize blood sugar; diets typically recommended for pregnancy are also good for diabetic mothers, she added.

Dr. Ramos-Roman offered these additional tips for breastfeeding with diabetes:

About UTSouthwestern Medical Center

UTSouthwestern, one of the nations premier academic medical centers, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institutions faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 26 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 17 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 2,900 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UTSouthwestern physicians provide care in more than 80 specialtiesto more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 4 million outpatient visits a year.

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Mothers with diabetes can have a healthy breastfeeding experience - UT Southwestern

GREAT NECK, N.Y. -- A Long Island great-grandmother is one of the oldest living Americans with Type 1 diabetes.

She was told as a child she would not live more than a few years. As CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reports, doctors say her longevity is living proof of great hope for a full life.

"I was told I would probably have about a three-to-five-year lifespan," Libby Lashansky said.

Lashansky has had a lot of time to prove her 1940s doctors wrong.

At age 11, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. The now-92-year-old Great Neck woman is among a handful of the oldest patients with the lifelong diagnosis.

"In those days, they thought they knew what they were doing," Lashansky said.

"She really is a miracle because when she had diabetes, no one ever would have expected her to live this long," son-in-law Saul Brenner said.

Until the discovery of insulin a century ago, juvenile diabetes, as it was then called, was considered a death sentence. Lashansky was told to keep it a secret and that her life would be short and limited.

"I was told I shouldn't have children. It would kill me," Lashansky said.

Two children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren later, she looks back on a full life. She became a physician, too.

"Times have changed," she said.

She credits major advances in glucose monitoring and insulin pumps. Injections she gives herself five times a day have smaller needles, and primitive monitoring is long gone.

"I would have to use a match, light the wick and then hold the test tube over the flame," Lashansky said.

Now, technology gives her a sugar reading every five minutes.

Her family credits her discipline.

"Have a balance between the carbohydrates, the protein and the fats," Lashansky said.

Doctors say she is an inspiration.

"I am the one that, I'm telling them that I think you have Type 1 diabetes. To be able to give them that hope, it's really a wonderful thing," said Dr. Rifka Schulman-Rosenbaum, director of inpatient diabetes at Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

JDRF International, the leading global Type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization, told CBS2, "Today people with type 1 diabetes are living longer and healthier lives, which is a testament to the many research advancements in treatment options, including drug development, devices, and behavioral health interventions."

There is still no cure for Type 1 diabetes. Lashansky always hoped for one, but says she has missed out on nothing.

"I practiced as a doctor. I lived a perfectly normal life," she said. "Diabetes, if one is careful and watches oneself, is not a death sentence."

She calls her ripe old age once unimaginable.

One-and-a-half million Americans have Type 1 diabetes.

Carolyn Gusoff has covered some of the most high profile news stories in the New York City area and is best known as a trusted, tenacious, consistent and caring voice of Long Island's concerns.

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92-year-old on Long Island is one of the oldest living Americans with Type 1 diabetes: "She really is a miracle" - CBS New York

Diabetes not only takes a toll on your body but also your mind. There is not a single day when one can take break from managing diabetes and there is a need to constantly control your blood sugar levels to avoid health complications. The impact of fluctuating glucose levels on the mood combined with the stress of taking medication, eating right and staying active takes a toll on mental health of people with diabetes. People with diabetes can experience depression, anxiety, mood swings among other such issues. Self-care, therapy, setting small goals, staying in touch with your loved ones can help diabetics maintain a good mental health. (Also read: 5 ways diabetes can affect women's health)

"Research has shown that patients suffering from diabetes suffer depression 2-3 times more than the general population. However, usually it is not diagnosed at the right time, so it is important when a diabetic patient feels unhappy, dull particularly when it leads to change in the lifestyle in terms of activities which they do, sleep, food and medicine then we know patient has reached a level of depression where patient needs some kind of therapy," says Dr. Vipul Gupta - Chief - Neurointerventional Surgery & Co-Chief Stroke Unit, Artemis Hospital, Gurugram.

People with diabetes also feel more stressed than others. Dr Gupta says stress can lead to increase in stress hormones which worsens the sugar control and when patients get stressed out they usually lose the discipline to take their medications regularly and to monitor the sugar levels.

"Diabetes can cause adverse effects on mental health. Rapid changes in mood, anxiety, fatigue and stress are probable. Self-care and lifestyle modification is very crucial in this condition. Therapy helps in acceptance of the condition and developing positive beliefs about your life, emotional regulation and distress tolerance through various relaxation techniques," says Dr Rituparna Ghosh, Consultant, clinical Psychology Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai.

Dr Ghosh says focusing on small goals and attaining them every day is more recommended than thinking of achieving wellness all at once.

"A journal can help organize your thoughts and emotional triggers like ways your diabetes changed your social life and how talking about it makes you feel sad and then work towards dealing with it accordingly. Enhance your emotional and family support system," says Dr Ghosh.

"Being socially active among peer groups and friends, exercising on regular basis, doing yoga and meditation is scientifically known to reduce stress levels," says Dr Gupta.

Dr Gupta says there are many support groups for diabetics which can also help them to handle their mental health.

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5 tips to boost mental health when you have diabetes - Hindustan Times