How does high sugar consumption promote type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is often associated with an excessive consumption of sugar or carbohydrates. But why is this the case?

Why is that?

We love sugar! Sugar makes us happy. This is because sugar releases serotonin - the happiness and feel-good hormone.

Sugar plays a major role in our diet nowadays. Children in particular become accustomed to it at an early age. Most children's products contain a large amount of added sugar, especially soft drinks.

But even "normal" foods such as bread, pasta, muesli, canned food or sausage often contain added sugar.

Avoiding sugar is almost impossible, because our brain reacts to sugar like cocaine! We have long been addicted to sugar.

As is so often the case, it' s the quantity that makes the poison. With an average annual sugar consumption of 40 kg per capita and very few carbohydrate-free meals, we have long exceeded the critical amount.

Education is the first step in the fight against obesity, sugar addiction and a generally poor diet. But that alone is not enough. Active steps must be taken by the government, for example, to change our diet.

What is being done nowadays to educate the population and especially children about high sugar consumption?

There are already countries that are actively tackling obesity and diabetes. One example of this is the UK, which introduced a sugar tax on soft drinks in April. Drinks containing 5 g of sugar or more per 100 ml are subject to additional taxes.

Companies in the UK have reacted and reduced the amount of sugar in soft drinks. One example of this is the drink Fanta, which previously contained 6.9 g of sugar per 100 ml in the UK. With the new sugar tax, the drink now only contains 4.6 g of sugar. In comparison, Fanta in Germany contains 9.1 g of sugar per 100 ml!

What is the situation in Germany, Austria and Switzerland?

Unfortunately, not much is being done here. The former sugar tax in Germany was abolished back in 1993. Food companies can therefore decide voluntarily whether and how much sugar they add to their food. A new sugar tax has always been rejected to date. 

However, there are already initiatives calling for mandatory regulation, such as the Foodwatch initiative together with the AOK: Action less sugar. Among other things, it calls for a ban on advertising for high-sugar and high-calorie foods aimed at children and the implementation of generally understandable food labeling. 

In Germany alone, around 80% of ready-made products in supermarkets currently contain added sugar. And according to Foodwatch, every second soft drink on the shelf is over-sugared!

What happens if we constantly consume too much sugar?

High sugar consumption has many consequences.

➤ Overweight ➤ Obesity ➤ Type 2 diabetes 

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and is one of the most widespread modern diseases. The worst thing is - over 90 % of all diabetics suffer from this form!

In contrast to people who suffer from type 1 diabetes, the body produces insulin, but no longer in sufficient quantities to compensate for the mass of sugar. Without enough insulin, glucose cannot be transported from the blood into the body's cells. The sugar remains in the blood and damages the blood vessels, while the body no longer receives enough energy.

Symptoms of insulin resistance are drowsiness, weakness, susceptibility to infections (flu, mouth) or reduced ability to think.

Type 2 diabetes usually occurs in people over the age of 40 who are overweight. However, people of normal weight can also suffer from it. Due to the increase in obesity among children, more and more young people are affected.

In addition, a poor diet leads to inflammation. Inflammation, in turn, is the fuel for many diseases such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer's and diabetes.

The good news at the end

Around half of those suffering from type 2 diabetes can overcome the disease through targeted measures.

➤ Stabilize blood sugar

At the end of the day, the most important thing is how quickly the blood sugar level rises. There are foods that cause blood sugar to rise quickly, some that cause it to rise slowly and others that keep blood sugar levels constant. 

The right diet keeps blood sugar levels constant and normalizes body weight:

• Fats: give preference to unsaturated fats from plant sources (e.g. olive oil) or fish
• Carbohydrates: preferably high-fiber carbohydrates with a low glycemic index in line with blood sugar levels
• Fiber: 30-40 g per day is ideal, such as from legumes, whole grains, fruits and vegetables (blueberries, oranges, tomatoes, chickpeas and green vegetables are beneficial)
• Proteins: keep blood sugar levels constant and help build and maintain muscles. Good sources of protein include fish, eggs, pulses, beans and nuts 
• Vitamins, minerals, trace elements and probiotics: Vitamin C and probiotics have a positive effect on the regulation of glucose levels

➤ Regular physical exercise

According to studies, around 40% of adults do not get enough exercise. So the solution is simple. Regular exercise significantly reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and the like. Exercise significantly improves the effect of insulin and stimulates the metabolism.

➤ New research results:

R-ALPHA LIPONIC ACID for symptomatic treatment

Science is increasingly aware of the great potential of R-alpha lipoic acid. 

R-alpha lipoic acid is an ideal adjuvant therapy for diabetes and has a positive effect on the course and symptoms of the disease:

• Improves insulin resistance
• Protects the nerves from free radicals and thus reduces the symptoms of diabetic polyneuropathy
• Helps against neuronal diabetes symptoms (nerve pain)

HOPS against diabetes

Hops contain bitter acids - the iso-alpha acids (important for the bitter taste) and xanthohumol (yellow hue of hops). These hop-derived bitter substances in hop drinks such as hop tea have a positive effect on metabolic syndrome, such as insulin resistance. They also effectively inhibit inflammation . The active ingredients are therefore said to have a beneficial effect on diabetes.

Caution: Although beer also contains hops, it also contains a lot of sugar and alcohol. So it's better to drink hop tea to benefit from the effect!

 

Sources (in English):

Mahli, A., Koch, A., Fresse, K., Schiergens, T., Thasler, W. E., Schönberger, C. et al. (2018, December). Iso-alpha acids from hops (Humulus lupulus) inhibit hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. Laboratory Investigation; A Journal of Technical Methods and Pathology, 98(12):1614-1626, doi: 10.1038/s41374-018-0112-x

Ungethüm, K., Jolink, M., Hippich, M., Lachmann, L., Haupt, F., Winkler, C. et al. (2019, March). Physical activity is associated with lower insulin and C-peptide during glucose challenge in children and adolescents with family background of diabetes. Diabetic Medicine: A Journal of the British Diabetic Association, 36(3):366-375, doi: 10.1111/dme.13819

Taylor, R., Al-Mrabeh, A., Zhyzhneuskaya, S., Peters, C., Barnes, A. C., Aribisala, B. S. et al. (2018, October). Remission of Human Type 2 Diabetes Requires Decrease in Liver and Pancreas Fat Content but Is Dependent upon Capacity for β Cell Recovery. Cell Metabolism, 2;28(4):547-556.e3, doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2018.07.003

Khazrai, Y. M., Defeudis, G. & Pozzilli, P. (2014, March). Effect of diet on type 2 diabetes mellitus: a review. Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews, 30 Suppl 1:24-33, doi: 10.1002/dmrr.2515