15 Common Myths About Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the most misunderstood health conditions, and misinformation can lead to poor decisions and delayed care. From assumptions about sugar and carbs to confusion about weight, medications, and natural remedies, there are countless myths that still persist.

This article clears up 15 common myths about diabetes. Each one is explained with facts, not guesses, so you can better understand diabetes and avoid the confusion that comes from outdated or misleading advice.

Here are common myths about diabetes, along with the facts to clear up each one:

Myth #1: Eating sugar causes diabetes.

Sugar doesn’t cause diabetes directly. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, and type 2 is influenced by genetics, obesity, and insulin resistance. A sugary diet may contribute to weight gain, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but it’s not the sole cause.

Still, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) suggests avoiding foods with too much added sugar, especially sugar-sweetened beverages.

Drinks with added sugars can quickly raise your blood sugar and pack in a lot of calories. For instance, if you drink a 12-ounce can of regular soda, you’re consuming around 150 calories and 40 grams of sugar. That’s roughly 10 teaspoons of sugar in one serving.

Sugar-sweetened beverages you should watch out for include:

• • Regular soda
  • Fruit punch
  • Sweetened fruit drinks
  • Energy drinks
  • Sports drinks
  • Sweet tea
  • Flavored coffee drinks
  • Any other beverage with added sugars

Opt for water whenever possible, or grab some fruit if you crave something sweet. You can still enjoy desserts, but keep them in moderation. It all comes down to how quickly sugar is absorbed. Whole foods like apples take longer to digest because of their fiber, which slows sugar absorption. But sugary drinks like soda deliver a fast hit of sugar to your bloodstream.

To stay within healthy limits, men should stick to no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams) of added sugar per day, and women no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams).

Think Twice About Artificial Sweeteners!

Artificial sweeteners, also known as non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) or low-calorie sweeteners (LCS), are now widely used in modern diets as sugar substitutes, especially in processed foods and beverages marketed as healthier or lower in calories.

However, new research suggests they may not be as harmless as once thought.

A large French cohort study (NutriNet-Santé, 2023) followed over 105,000 adults for nearly a decade. It found that people who consumed higher amounts of artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, acesulfame-K, and sucralose, faced a 34% to 70% increased risk of developing T2D, compared to non-consumers, even after adjusting for weight changes and other factors.

Instead of replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners, work on lowering your overall sugar intake. This is more sustainable, reduces health risks, and helps you build a more balanced relationship with food.

Myth #2: Only overweight/obese people get diabetes

While being overweight/obese does increase the risk of T2D, many people with the condition have a normal weight or are even underweight. This is especially important to understand because weight classification is usually based on BMI (Body Mass Index), which doesn’t show the full picture. BMI only accounts for height and weight. It doesn’t reveal where fat is stored or how much muscle a person has.

Visceral fat, which surrounds your organs, is a stronger indicator of diabetes risk than BMI. Some lean individuals have hidden fat in the abdomen or in organs like the liver and pancreas. This kind of fat is more harmful and closely linked to insulin resistance and T2D.

Another factor is body composition. Since muscle is denser than fat, people with more muscle may weigh more but still be lean. Muscle tissue is critically involved in how your body uses insulin to process blood sugar. After you eat, your muscles help remove sugar from the bloodstream, using it for energy or storing it as glycogen (a storage form of glucose).

A large US study found that for every 10% increase in muscle mass relative to body weight, insulin resistance dropped 11%, and prediabetes prevalence dropped 12%.

So don’t stress if the scale isn’t moving after you’ve been working out. You might be gaining muscle, which is heavier but healthier than fat. What matters more is your overall body composition. Focus on how you feel, your strength, energy, and long-term health. Your body is changing in ways the scale can’t always show.

Myth #3: People with diabetes can’t eat carbs

People with diabetes can include carbohydrates in their diet. According to the ADA, the focus should be on choosing nutrient-dense carbohydrate sources like those high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, while being low in added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats.

Here’s a general guideline on choosing carbohydrate-rich foods:

Myth #4: Diabetes isn’t a serious disease

Diabetes is a serious and chronic disease. It is not just about blood sugar. Over time, it can affect nearly every organ system in the body. Traditionally, diabetes is known to cause two main types of complications:

• • Microvascular complications (small blood vessels), such as:

• • • • Kidney disease (nephropathy)
      • Eye damage (retinopathy)
      • Nerve damage (neuropathy)

• • Macrovascular complications (large blood vessels), such as:

• • • • Heart disease
      • Stroke
      • Peripheral artery disease (PAD), which can reduce blood flow to limbs and lead to non-healing wounds, gangrene, or amputations

Today, people with diabetes are now developing different complications that weren’t as common before. Cancer has now become the leading cause of death for people with diabetes in some countries, especially gastrointestinal cancers (such as pancreatic, liver, and colorectal cancers).

Studies show that in the US, the percentage of deaths due to cancer in people with diabetes has stayed relatively steady, ranging between 16% and 20%. However, in countries like England and Australia, this percentage increased from 22% in 2001 to 28% in 2018.

Dementia-related deaths are also becoming more common in this population. In fact, about 45% of people with type 2 diabetes show signs of mild cognitive impairment, compared to only 3-22% in the general population. Experts believe that insulin resistance in the brain may contribute to neurodegeneration, memory loss, and cognitive decline.

Myth #5: People with diabetes can’t eat sweets at all

Sweets can be included occasionally in a balanced diet. What matters most is how much and how often. For instance, if you’re eyeing a slice of cake after dinner, you can adjust by reducing carbs at lunch or skipping bread at dinner.

Keep portions small. Eat slowly and give yourself time to enjoy the taste. Having sweets right after a meal may help limit how much you eat, while also keeping blood sugar steadier. You don’t have to give up desserts, you just have to be smart about them.

Myth #6: Taking insulin means your diabetes is getting worse

Needing insulin doesn’t always mean your condition has worsened. Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease. Over time, the body may produce less insulin naturally. When lifestyle changes and oral medications aren’t enough to keep blood sugar in range, insulin is simply the next step in treatment.

“Many times, the first medication prescribed is metformin, which decreases the amount of glucose produced by the liver. However, medications like metformin (Glucophage, Glumetza) may not be enough to manage your diabetes as time goes on. You may need more and more diabetes medications to reach your blood sugar targets. The progression of type 2 diabetes is why it may feel like a race you can’t win.”

– American Diabetes Association (ADA)

Myth #7: Type 2 diabetes is mild

No type of diabetes is “mild.” Type 2 can lead to the same long-term problems as type 1 if it’s not managed well. Calling it mild may cause some people to put off treatment or ignore changes they need to make.

In one study that followed patients for over six years, those who waited just six months to adjust their treatment had a 2.35 times higher risk of developing kidney disease compared to those who acted sooner.

Another large study from the UK showed that even a one-year delay in adjusting treatment led to much higher risks:

• • 67% more likely to have a heart attack
  • 51% more likely to have a stroke
  • 64% more likely to develop heart failure
  • 62% more likely to have any major heart or blood vessel event

These numbers show that the risks are real and far from mild.

Myth #8: You can catch diabetes from someone else

While diabetes tends to run in families, it’s not something you can “catch.” Diabetes isn’t contagious. You can’t get it from being near someone who has it, sharing food, touching, or through the air like a cold or flu. It’s caused by genetic and lifestyle factors, not by viruses or bacteria.

Myth #9: Fruit is bad for people with diabetes

Fruit isn’t off-limits. It can be a healthy part of your diabetes-friendly diet. Whole fruits like apples, berries, and oranges contain natural sugars, but they also provide fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. The fiber helps slow sugar absorption, leading to a steadier rise in blood sugar than processed sweets.

Choose the right types and watch your portions. Go for whole, fresh, or frozen fruits without added sugar. Canned fruits in syrup, fruit juices, and dried fruits can spike blood sugar more quickly. Avoid these or keep them to very small amounts.

Myth #10: Natural remedies can cure diabetes

There’s no natural remedy that can cure diabetes. While some herbs and supplements, like cinnamon, berberine, or bitter melon, have been studied for their blood sugar-lowering effects, the results are mixed. No natural product has been proven to replace the need for prescribed medication, insulin, or long-term lifestyle changes.

Type 2 diabetes can sometimes be reversed through sustained weight loss, a healthy diet, and regular exercise. But this requires ongoing effort and monitoring. It’s not the result of a single remedy or quick fix.

If you’re considering adding natural options to your routine, talk to your doctor first. Some supplements may interfere with medications or lead to unexpected side effects.

Myth #11: You’ll always know if you have diabetes

Type 2 diabetes can develop slowly, and symptoms like fatigue, increased thirst, or frequent urination might be mild or mistaken for something else. In some cases, there are no symptoms at all. Many people go undiagnosed for years.

Fortunately, diabetes screening has significantly improved. Today, nearly 90% of diabetes cases in the US are diagnosed, and only about 1-2% of adults have diabetes without knowing it.

Myth #12: Children only get Type 1 diabetes

Children can develop both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. While type 1 is more common in kids and teens, type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in younger people, especially with rising childhood obesity rates and sedentary lifestyles.

Data from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study showed that type 2 diabetes increased by 5.3% each year in children and teens, which is more than double the growth rate of type 1.

Myth #13: People with diabetes can’t exercise

People with diabetes should exercise. It’s actually one of the best ways to manage blood sugar. Physical activity helps your body use insulin more effectively and can lower blood glucose levels. It also supports heart health, improves mood, and helps with weight management.

In one study, researchers used rats that swam for either 1 day or 5 days, 6 hours each day. After they finished swimming, the scientists examined the rats’ muscle tissues and how they responded to insulin.

They found that exercise improved the way muscles use insulin. After just one day, insulin helped the muscles take in 30% more sugar. After five days, it went up to 50%. It also activates many parts of the insulin signaling pathway, helping the body move sugar out of the blood and into muscle more effectively.

Myth #14: Insulin cures diabetes

Insulin helps manage diabetes, but it’s not a cure. For people with type 1 diabetes, insulin is essential because their bodies no longer produce it. For some with type 2 diabetes, insulin may be needed when other treatments aren’t enough.

Myth #15: Gestational diabetes goes away after pregnancy, so it doesn’t matter

While it usually resolves after birth, it increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Women who had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy are 11 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life compared to women who never had it.

Final Thoughts

Many common beliefs about diabetes are simply not true. Eating sugar doesn’t directly cause diabetes, and people with the condition can still eat carbs and sweets in moderation. Diabetes can affect people of all body sizes, not just those who are overweight.

It’s a serious disease that can lead to heart problems, kidney failure, nerve damage, and even dementia or cancer if not managed properly. Knowing the facts helps you manage diabetes better and avoid risky decisions based on myths.

Frequently Asked Questions

Original Publish Date: 6/2/2023 – Updated 6/30/2025