What Happens If A Diabetic Eats Sugar

September 10, 2021

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Controlling Diabetes When Youre Not Hungry

What Happens If You Stop Eating Sugar Completely

If you find that youre eating less due to an illness or other factors, your medications may need adjusting, so its important to talk to your doctor. Meanwhile, here are some general guidelines:

Mealtime insulin: For mealtime insulin, if you skip the meal, you should also forego the mealtime insulin.
Long-acting insulin: The dosage for long-acting insulin is not usually based on food intake, so your doctor will not likely recommend a dose reduction.
Other medications: There are some diabetes medications that will lower your blood sugar when high, but wont normally cause hypoglycemia. They may or may not need adjustment, depending on how much youre eating. These medications include metformin, SGLT-2 inhibitors and DPP4 inhibitors.

Managing Your Diabetes Devices

If you are using an insulin pump, talk to your diabetes team about how to best manage hyperglycemia. In general, be sure to check your pump first. Make sure all parts are connected and working correctly. Check your bolus history and temporary basal rate. Also check your insulin to make sure it has not expired or gotten too warm.

If you use a CGM, try not to react to it too often. You might be tempted to give another dose of insulin too soon, before the first one finishes working, which is known as stacking insulin; this can cause low blood sugar .

What Happens In Your Body

With diabetes, eating too much sugar can cause more than just the jittery feelings of a sugar high. It can cause several other symptomsand it’s important to understand what you’re feeling, and to understand what is happening in your body.

After consuming an excess amount of sugar, you might enter a state of hyperglycemia. Hyper means high or above, and glycemia refers to the amount of glucose in the blood. Being in a state of hyperglycemia cause a few different things to happen. A common symptom people with diabetes experience is intense thirstthey feel like they can’t get enough to drink. This is called polydipsia. Paired with polydipsia, you may also experience polyuriathe frequent need to urinate. These are both tell-tale signs that your blood sugar is high. Further, you may experience headache, blurred vision, and possible feelings of fatigue.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, I recommend checking your blood glucose. If you monitor your blood sugar , your blood sugar will likely be above 180 mg/dL after a sugar binge. This value can be different for different people and it’s important to talk to your doctor or endocrinologist about your unique blood sugar targets.

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Insulin In People With Type 2 Diabetes

The NDIC explains that people with type 2 diabetes begin with normal functional pancreatic beta cells, but over time, the fat, muscle and liver cells can no longer respond to insulin properly. To bring the blood glucose level back to the normal range, the beta cells produce excess insulin. However, the beta cells will eventually lose their efficiency and can’t produce enough insulin, thus resulting in insulin deficiency. Similar to a person with type 1 diabetes, a type 2 diabetic who doesn’t get enough insulin will develop hyperglycemia after eating a meal.

Blood Sugar Spike: What To Do

Do you get diabetes from eating too much sugar?

Its important to know the symptoms of hyperglycemia. If you suspect that you have high blood sugar, perform a finger stick to check your level.

Exercising and drinking water after eating, particularly if youve consumed a lot of starchy carbs, can help lower your blood sugar.

You can also use an insulin injection, but be careful only to use this method while closely following the recommendation of your doctor regarding your dose. If used improperly, insulin can cause hypoglycemia .

What Should My Blood Sugar Level Be

When you’re first diagnosed with diabetes, your diabetes care team;will usually tell you what your blood;sugar level is and what you should aim to get it down to.

You may be advised to use a testing device to monitor your blood sugar level regularly at home.

Or you may have an appointment with a nurse or doctor every few months to see what your average blood sugar level is. This is known as your;HbA1c level.

Target blood;sugar levels differ for everyone, but generally speaking:

if you monitor yourself at home with a self-testing kit; a normal target is 4 to 7mmol/l before eating and under 8.5 to 9mmol/l 2 hours after a meal
if your;HbA1c level is;tested every few months; a normal HbA1c target is below 48mmol/mol

The Diabetes UK website has more about;blood sugar levels and testing.

Is Hyperglycaemia Serious

The aim of diabetes treatment is to keep blood sugar levels as near to normal as possible.

But if you have diabetes, no matter how careful you are, you’re likely to experience hyperglycaemia at some point.

It’s important to be able to recognise and treat hyperglycaemia, as it can lead to serious health problems if left untreated.

Occasional mild episodes are not usually a cause for concern and can be treated quite easily or may return to normal on their own.

But hyperglycaemia can be potentially dangerous if blood sugar levels become very high or stay high for long periods.

Very high blood sugar levels can cause life-threatening complications, such as:

diabetic ketoacidosis ; a condition caused by the body needing to break down fat as a source of energy, which can lead to a diabetic coma; this tends to affect people with type 1 diabetes
hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state ; severe;dehydration caused by the body;trying to get rid of excess sugar; this tends to affect people with type 2 diabetes

Regularly having high blood sugar levels for long periods of time can result in permanent damage to parts of the body such as the eyes, nerves, kidneys and blood vessels.

If you experience hyperglycaemia regularly, speak to your doctor or diabetes care team.

You may need to change your treatment or lifestyle to keep your blood sugar levels within a healthy range.

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Sweet On The Sweet Stuff

You drink a flavored latte. One moment youre wired; the next, youre making a beeline to the couch. What gives? Youve just downed too much sugar. Your body goes on a physical and emotional roller coaster after having too much of the sweet stuff. The minute you put a sweet in your mouth, you get a surge of dopamine, a feel-good hormone with addictive properties, says Amanda Bontempo, RD, a nutritionist at NYU Langones Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center. But the high doesnt last.

Where Sugar Is Found In Your Diet

What Happens if you Eat Too Much Sugar?

Sugar is found naturally in fruit, vegetables and dairy foods . Its also added to food and drink by food manufacturers, or by ourselves at home. These types of added sugars are called free sugars and they are also present in pure fruit juices, smoothies, syrups and honey. The debate about sugar and health is mainly around free sugars.;

This includes:

table sugar that we add to our hot drinks or breakfast cereal
caster sugar, used in baking
sugars hidden in sauces, ready meals, cakes and drinks.
honey and syrups, like golden syrup or agave syrup;
pure fruit juice;

Can Eating Sugar Make My Diabetes Worst

Eating more sugar than your body can turn into energy will increase your blood sugar, which can intensify the complications that are caused by diabetes. Although sugar alone doesnt cause the diabetes, it can cause it to progress and cause complications such as:

Kidney disease

High in fat
High in carbohydrates

Add all of these things together, and you really are looking at a disaster. While fresh foods are always best, its ok to splurge in fast food every once in a while. If you are on a road trip and your only option for eating is fast food, its understandable.

Ask to see their nutrition information before you order or look it up online. Many fast food chains now offer options that are fairly healthy.

Controlled Means Different Things To Different People

Theres no one-size-fits-all recommendation for blood sugar control.

The ADA says that a reasonable goal for many nonpregnant adults is to aim for an A1C level of less than 7. Yet some patients may be given a more stringent goal by their healthcare providers, such as 6.5, if thats reachable without harmful side effects, including hypoglycemia.

On the other hand, if you are elderly, managing other health complications, or reliant on insulin, you may be given less stringent goals. It really becomes more important to just keep in the same place, says Rahil Bandukwala, DO, an endocrinologist at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California. Keeping A1C between 7.5 and 8.5 may be very reasonable for such a patient, Dr. Bandukwala adds, echoing the ADAs recommendations.

Because elderly people are more likely to have blood sugar that swings too far downward, with fewer warning signs, managing their glucose too tightly can put them at greater risk for hypoglycemia, says Bandukwala. When you have low blood sugar, youre at a higher risk for becoming dizzy and falling or passing out, notes the ADA.

Recommended Reading: How To Manage Type 1 Diabetes

What Are The Risks Of Hyperglycemia

Hyperglycemia can be a sign that your body isnt getting enough insulin. It is normal for patients with T1D to get hyperglycemia, and most of the time this is simply treated with insulin. If the body does not have insulin for approximately 8 hours, you could develop a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA.

In DKA, your body breaks down fat for energy because it doesnt have enough insulin to use the sugar in your blood. This produces chemicals called ketones, which make your blood more acidic.

DKA is dangerous. Too much acid in your blood can make you pass out or even cause death.

What You Can Do Now

How Much Sugar Can a Person With Diabetes Have?

Your doctor will provide you with clear steps to follow aimed at lowering your blood sugar levels. Its important that you take their recommendations to heart and make any necessary lifestyle changes to improve your health. If left untreated, hyperglycemia can lead to serious, and sometimes life-threatening, complications.

Your doctor may recommend that you buy a blood glucose meter to use at home. This is a simple and effective way to monitor your blood sugar and act quickly if your levels have spiked to an unsafe level. Being aware of your levels can empower you to take charge of your condition and live a healthy lifestyle.

Also Check: Does Low Blood Sugar Cause Headaches

Symptoms Of Too Much Sugar In Your Body

Some people may ask what happens when you eat too much sugar at once?

Actually, it is unnecessary that signs appear the moment you eat sugar or sweets, directly.;

No doubt, sugar is an essential component in many foods, including bread.

But what are the negative effects of sugar on our bodies?

Actually, there are 10 frightening symptoms that may occur to the body when excessive consumption of sugar, that include:

Gaining weight:

Several studies have linked weight gain to drinks and foods that contain sugar, such as soft drinks and sweets. Check out diabetic diet for type 2 diabetes and weight loss.

Tooth decay

Sugar does not directly cause cavities, but the acidic substances that sweets leave on the teeth may cause cavities.

Skin problems

Scientists have proven that there is a relationship between the consumption of sugary foods and skin-related problems, such as the appearance of grains and allergies.

Addiction

Excessive intake of sugar leads to its addiction so that a person feels a constant desire to eat foods containing a high percentage of sugar.

Diabetes

With the genes present, eating sugar may lead to diabetes.

Depression

A scientific study in 2006 showed that eating too much sugar leads to a high rate of anxiety and may cause depression.

Heart disease

Medical studies have proven that eating too much sugar may expose a person to heart disease more.

Liver diseases

Recent studies have confirmed that sugar is as harmful to the liver as drinking alcohol.

Lack of satiation

How Are High Blood Sugar Levels Treated

Treating high blood sugar levels involves fixing what caused them in the first place. Your diabetes health care team will give you specific advice on how to keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range. But here are some ways to manage the common causes of high blood sugar levels:

Reason for High Blood Sugar Level	What to Do
Not getting enough insulin or other diabetes medicine	Make sure that you take the proper type of insulin and the correct dose at the right time. Check that insulin is not expired. Make sure that all equipment is working properly. Diabetes medicines may need to be changed or adjusted check with your diabetes health care team.
Not following the meal plan	Work with a registered dietitian to make adjustments to your meal plan as needed. Adjust insulin/pills when you eat more or less than recommended on your meal plan .
Not getting enough exercise	Figure out a plan to make time for exercise. Adjust your medicines based on the diabetes health care team’s instructions.
Illness or stress	Contact your diabetes health care team. Continue to take insulin . Check your blood sugar levels frequently.
Use of other medicines that can increase blood sugar	Contact your diabetes health care team if you start taking any other medicine. Your insulin or pills may need to be adjusted while you take the medicine that’s causing high blood sugar levels.

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Also Check: How To Protect Kidneys From Diabetes

What Are The Long

In recent years, sugar has been linked to a range of serious diseases. A diet that includes too much sugar causes a continuous increase in insulin levels that eventually leads to insulin resistance, obesity and type 2 diabetes, says Holly Zoccolan, a nutritional health coach and founder of The Health Zoc. A high sugar diet can also affect our gut health and our heart.

Forget The Guilt Trip

What Happens If You Stop Eating Sugar And Eat These Natural Things

Take a deep breath and go easy on yourself. Conventional research tells us it takes about 3,500 calories to gain a pound of fat, says Bontempo, adding that thats the equivalent of about 44 Fun Size Snickers bars, or nearly 60 Fun Size Skittles bags. Even if you ate a lot of candy, it doesnt directly translate into weight gain. The next time you have a treat, practice savoring and enjoying it. A 2015 study found that people who associate eating chocolate cake with guilt reported unhealthier eating habits;compared with those who viewed it as a celebration. Try having;a square of dark chocolate, which is healthier and less processed than other sweet treats.;Being mindful and eating things like that provides a lot more satisfaction than just chewing it once or twice and then swallowing,;says Ewoldt. If mindful eating of sweets is helpful, check out more ways to kick a sugar addiction.

Recommended Reading: Is Monk Fruit Sugar Good For Diabetics

Check Your Blood Sugar Regularly

It’s important to understand the severity of being in a state of hyperglycemia if you have diabetes. It can have very dangerous consequences, so it’s extremely important to monitor your blood sugar and ensure that it is stabilizing over time. The general recommendation for a person with diabetes is to check your blood sugar every four hours. If you enter a state of hyperglycemia, it is advised to check it more often, until your blood sugar has stabilized. However, this is unique to the individual. Have a conversation with your doctor about how often you should monitor your blood sugar after eating too much sugar.

How To Test For Ketones

You can use a urine test strip or blood ketone meter and ketone test strip to test for ketones at home. Testing either urine or blood is important, but when possible, a blood test is preferred because it gives you and your care team more precise information about your ketone levels. Because urine may have been in the bladder for some time, the results from these tests may show levels that are either higher or lower than the ketone levels that are actually circulating in your body. It is also very important to know that urine test trips degrade over time, so if you are using this method, you need to look at expiration dates carefully.

Your diabetes care team can give you specific directions about when you should check for ketones, but in general, you should check for them when your blood glucose is 240 mg/dL or higher. You should also check for ketones if you notice any of the DKA symptoms listed above or if you are sick ; it is possible to have ketones while your blood glucose levels are within range .

At-home urine test strips will change color to show the level of ketones in the urine. They typically report results as negative, trace, small, moderate or large. Blood ketone meters will provide a number that indicates the ketone levels. The following ranges are generally used:

How Do Carbs Affect Blood Sugar

Carbs in food make your blood sugar levels go higher after you eat them than when you eat proteins or fats. You can still eat carbs if you have diabetes. The amount you can have and stay in your target blood sugar range depends on your age, weight, activity level, and other factors. Counting carbs in foods and drinks is an important tool for managing blood sugar levels. Make sure to talk to your health care team about the best carb goals for you.