I don't understand why......

[Jill]

......they say sugar doesn't cause diabetes but then state that too much sugar overworks the pancreas and wears it out. So isn't that the same as causing it? Or one of the causes?

 

[Northerner]

I think that sugar in an otherwise healthy individual can be coped with. We can discount Type 1 diabetes being caused by sugar as it is due to an autoimmune attack. In individuals with a family history or genetic predisposition to insulin resistance, then sugar can be an accelerating factor by making the pancreas work harder, but it's not a cause - many other factors may accelerate the decline of the pancreas or increase in insulin resistance, so sugar may not be significant in many people. Also, there are many more people who consume vast amounts of sugar and don't become diabetic, so sugar can't be a cause otherwise they would all develop diabetes.

I'm sure someone can put it better than that, but I hope you can see what I mean! 🙂

 

[Jill]

Once again thanks Northener. That makes sense. My aunt has taken six spoonfuls of sugar in her drinks for years and years and she is fine but I have wondered why her pancreas copes and mine doesn't.

 

[Copepod]

"Because everyone is different" sounds life a flippant answer, but that's the truth.

The fuller answer is that there's a difference between association and cause in health. Eg people who smoke cigarettes are more likely to get lung cancer than those who don't smoke, but there are people who smoke heavily, but don't get lung cancer, and some people who get lung cancer have never smoked. This link is far stronger than any other links in health, but there are others eg high fat diet and coronary heart disease.