This is an archive article published on February 17, 2025

Myth vs fact: You can get diagnosed with type 2 diabetes even if you don’t eat sugar, sweets

It’s important to note that a sedentary lifestyle, age, and certain medications — especially steroids and some antidepressants — can elevate diabetes risk

Here's what to consider (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

3 min readNew DelhiFeb 17, 2025 10:30 AM IST First published on: Feb 17, 2025 at 10:30 AM IST

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic lifestyle conditions. Yet, it is incorrectly believed that diabetes is diagnosed only in those with a sweet tooth. Addressing the misconception, nutritionist Charmaine Ha Dominguez informed that type 2 diabetes is not necessarily caused by having too much sugar. “I hear this a lot from people who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and they’re super confused about how they got type 2 diabetes. Having too much sugar in your blood is a symptom of type 2 diabetes, but eating too much sugar is not necessarily the main culprit of type 2 diabetes,” said Dominguez.

According to her, the main culprit of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. “Insulin resistance is caused by a buildup of fatty acids in your liver and in your muscle cells that turn off insulin receptors where insulin can’t effectively bring in glucose from the blood into the cells,” said Dominguez, adding that this causes high blood sugars.

“The three major factors that contribute to insulin resistance are a sedentary lifestyle, a high-fat diet, and excess consumption of calories,” added Dominguez.

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What can we infer?

In type 2 diabetes, factors like obesity, physical inactivity, and genetics contribute to insulin resistance. “A person may avoid sugars yet face a risk of diabetes if they consume high-fat or fatty foods and are overweight, as this can lead to impaired insulin secretion and insulin resistance,” said Dr Manisha Arora, director, internal medicine, CK Birla Hospital, Delhi.

Additionally, those with excess body fat, particularly visceral fat (common among Asian Indians), are at an increased risk, said Dr Arora. “In such cases, insulin can get stored in fat cells, contributing to insulin resistance. Weight loss may help release this stored insulin back into circulation, which could help improve diabetes management,” he added.

Sugar consumption is not the only factor to take care of (Source: Freepik)

Likewise, stress and inadequate sleep disrupt hormonal balance and metabolic functioning and lead to abnormal blood sugar levels,” said Dr Jinendra Jain, consultant physician, Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road.

It’s also important to note that a sedentary lifestyle, age, and certain medications — especially steroids and some antidepressants — can elevate diabetes risk, even in the absence of high sugar consumption, elucidated Dr Arora.

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A post shared by Charmaine Ha Dominguez, MPH, RDN | Reversing Diabetes (@reversingdiabetesrevolution)

What to note?

One has to pay attention to the diet and adhere to eating fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses, lentils, and seeds. “Avoid junk, processed, oily, canned, sugary, and processed foods, exercise daily for at least 45 minutes, and stay stress-free by doing yoga and meditation. One has to get a sound sleep at night for at least eight hours to maintain blood sugar levels,” said Dr Jain.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.