7 Commonly Held Myths About Diabetes

As with most conditions diabetes carries more than its fair share of old wive's stories.

A great deal of misunderstanding surrounds diabetes and here we consider 7 often heard diabetes myths:

� Diabetics cannot eat candy or chocolate. There is no reason at all why diabetics should not eat chocolate and candy, and indeed cakes and sweet desserts, providing these are eaten in reasonable small quantities and are merely one single element of a normal and healthy diet plan.

� People with diabetes should eat only very small amounts of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates, which are found in a variety of foods including bread, beans, pasta, cereals and rice and from which the body gets much of the glucose required for energy, are a very important part of our diet, whether or not we have diabetes. These foods also contain a lot of our essential fiber intake. The secret for diabetes sufferers is simply to ensure that you balance carbohydrates with other food items and that portions are kept to a reasonable size.

� Eating excessive sugar can cause diabetes. Despite the fact that the causes of diabetes are not entirely understood, it is known that excess sugar consumption is not one of them. This said, eating too much sugar could well lead to an individual gaining weight, which is most certainly a factor in raising the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It is however not the sugar but the increase in weight that may lead to diabetes.

� Diabetes is contagious. This is not the case. It is believed however that people with diabetes have a genetic predisposition to the disease and that it might be triggered by such things as viruses and drugs, including antibiotics. It is possible therefore that contracting a common illness, or treating that illness with antibiotics, could lead to the onset of diabetes.

� People with diabetes are prone to flu and colds. There is absolutely no evidence to show that individuals with diabetes are any more likely than anyone else to catch a cold or flu. Diabetics should however try their best to avoid such illnesses (for example by having an annual flu shot) because illnesses of this type can interfere with levels of blood sugar, and thus make the management of diabetes more difficult.

� Taking insulin can cause high blood pressure and hardened arteries. Early tests lead to the belief that insulin might play a role in triggering processes associated with the development of hardened arteries but this has shown to be incorrect and there is no evidence that insulin causes either high blood pressure or hardened arteries.

� People with diabetes are required to eat a special diabetic diet. So called 'Diabetic' varieties of some foods that are commonly sold in health food stores are nothing more than a marketing ploy. People with diabetes should simply eat a normal balanced diet that is low in fat and that contains moderate levels of suager and salt.

The list of myths which are associated with diabetes goes on and on, although the 7 listed here are undoubtedly the most often encountered and, before too much longer, will hopefully be put to rest.

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