Diabetes myths abound, from the notion that eating too much sugar causes the disease to the erroneous assumption that you need to give up all of your favorite foods in order to follow a diabetes diet. WebMD provides a list of ten common myths about diabetes and nutrition.
Myth 1: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.
In reality, the causes of diabetes are not fully known. Diabetes occurs when something causes your body to improperly process the food you eat.
Myth 2: Diabetes diets have too many rules to follow.
While planning and some simple changes are often necessary, the rules are not as stringent as you might think.
Myth 3: Carbs are the enemy.
Carbohydrates are, in fact, the foundation of a healthy diabetes dietor any diet, for that matter. Since they affect blood sugar levels, they must often be monitored by people with diabetes. However, they contain a number of the most essential elements of any person's diet.
Myth 4: Protein is better than carbs for diabetes.
Too much protein can cause problems for people with diabetes. A typical diabetes diet should be composed of 15% to 20% protein.
Myth 5: You can adjust diabetes drug intake to account for improper eating.
WebMD cautions that while insulin levels should be adjusted to match the amount of food eaten, it can be dangerous to overeat and then simply use more of the drug.
