Does Eating Sugar Cause Diabetes? The Truth About Honey, Gur, and Brown Sugar

The belief that 'eating too much sugar causes diabetes' is perhaps the single most common health myth in the world. When someone is diagnosed with diabetes in Pakistan, family members often assume they must have been secretly eating excessive sweets or drinking too much sugary chai.

This leads to two major misunderstandings: misplaced guilt about what caused the condition, and the false idea that swapping white sugar for 'natural' alternatives like honey or jaggery (gur) makes sweet foods completely safe.

Myth 1: 'Eating Sugar Directly Causes Diabetes'

The medical reality is far more nuanced:

• Type 1 Diabetes: An autoimmune reaction where the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells. It has nothing to do with sugar consumption or diet.
• Type 2 Diabetes: Driven by a complex combination of genetics, age, and insulin resistance. While drinking sugary sodas or eating excessive sweets contributes to extra calories and weight gain (which increases insulin resistance), sugar itself does not directly 'poison' the pancreas into causing diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association (opens in a new tab) is explicit on this point: eating sugar alone does not cause diabetes. Type 2 diabetes develops from a mix of family history, age, ethnicity, activity level, and body weight over many years — a single sweet tooth is never the sole cause. That said, sugary drinks are one of the clearest dietary contributors to the weight gain that raises Type 2 risk, so cutting back on sweetened chai, soft drinks, and desserts is still worthwhile — just not because sugar directly 'gives' anyone diabetes.

Myth 2: 'People with Diabetes Can NEVER Eat Sugar'

Having diabetes does not mean sugar becomes a forbidden poison. Your body treats sugar (sucrose) as a simple carbohydrate. What matters most is the total amount of carbohydrates you consume in a meal, rather than whether those carbs came from a small piece of mithai, a chapati, or a bowl of rice.

People with diabetes can enjoy small sweet treats occasionally, provided they are factored into their overall meal carb budget.

Myth 3: 'Honey, Gur, and Brown Sugar Are Safe Substitutes'

In many Pakistani households, switching from white sugar to honey, organic jaggery (gur), or brown sugar is considered a 'healthy cure.' Let's compare their actual nutritional impact:

But Doesn't Newer Research Show Honey Can Help?

Some people point to newer honey studies as proof it is fundamentally different from sugar. The picture is more mixed than that. A large 2024 dose-response analysis pooling 69 randomized controlled trials found that very small daily amounts of honey (around 10g/day or less — roughly one teaspoon) were associated with a modest drop in HbA1c, while larger daily amounts were associated with HbA1c rising instead. In other words, more honey did not mean more benefit — the opposite. The same body of research still describes results as mixed, drawn from small trials, and not strong enough to recommend honey as a treatment.

This nuance matters because it is easy to misquote: 'studies show honey helps diabetes' is not an accurate summary. The honest summary is that trace amounts of honey do not appear to harm blood sugar control the way people once assumed, and may even offer a very small benefit at low intake — but the moment honey is used the way sugar is (spoonfuls in chai, drizzled on parathay, stirred into desserts), it behaves like the added sugar it is.

Why the 'Secret Sweets' Guilt Is Misplaced

It bears repeating because the guilt is so common: a Type 2 diagnosis is not proof that someone was secretly overeating sweets, and a Type 1 diagnosis has no connection to diet at all. Insulin resistance builds up over years through a combination a person rarely controls entirely — genetics, aging, hormonal changes, certain medications, and body fat distribution. Blaming a diagnosis on chai habits alone is neither accurate nor useful; it delays the more productive conversation about carbohydrate portions, movement, and medication.

“Honey and gur are traditional foods with lovely flavors, but for your blood sugar, a carb is still a carb.”

Test your readings after different sweeteners

Log your tea choices in Diatic and check your blood glucose 2 hours later to see the actual impact.

Log a reading (opens Diatic on Google Play in a new tab)