Should I limit my consumption of sugar if I have diabetes?

Sugar has long had a bad reputation, especially among people with diabetes. People used to think that eating sugar would cause blood glucose levels to rise much more rapidly than other types of carbohydrates, such as bread or potatoes. So although bread and potatoes were okay to eat, pure sugar or sugar-laden treats were considered taboo. Well, it turns out that the total amount of carbohydrates and its combination with other nutrients, such as fat, are much more important.

Foods that contain sugar can be part of your diabetes plan. You’ll just need to account for the calories and carbohydrates. Keep in mind, sugar has little nutritional value, so filling up on sugars won’t allow you to eat as much as the nutrient-rich carbohydrates.

Diabetes is when your body can't deal with the sugars that you take in. Because of this, it is very important that you watch the amount of sugars that you take in. Carbohydrates are important to monitor, as well, because these break down into sugars. Your overall health will be better if you watch and decrease the amount of simple sugars and carbohydrates you take in.