1. Diabetics cannot eat candy or chocolate. There is no reason at all why diabetics should not eat candy and chocolate, and indeed cakes and sweet desserts, providing these are eaten in moderation and are just one element of a normal healthy diet plan.



2. Eating too much sugar can cause diabetes. Despite the fact that the causes of diabetes are not completely understood, it is known that excessive sugar consumption is not one of them. This said, eating too much sugar could well lead to an individual gaining excessive weight, which is certainly a factor in increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It is however not the sugar but the excess weight that you are carrying that may trigger diabetes.

3. Diabetes is contagious. There is no truth in this at all. It is thought however that diabetes sufferers have a genetic predisposition to the disease and that it may be triggered by such things as viruses and drugs, including antibiotics. It is possible therefore that contracting a common illness, or treating that illness with antibiotics, could lead to the onset of diabetes.

4. Diabetes sufferers are required to eat a special diabetic diet. So called "Diabetic" versions of some foods which are commonly sold in health food stores are nothing more than a marketing ploy. Diabetics should simply eat a normal balanced diet which is low in fat and which contains moderate levels of both salt and sugar.

5. Diabetics should only eat very small amounts of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates, which are found in a range of foods including beans, bread, cereals, pasta and rice and from which the body gets much of the glucose required for energy, are an important part of our diet, whether we are diabetic or not. They also contain much of our essential fiber intake. The secret for diabetics is simply to ensure that carbohydrates are balanced with other foods and that portions are kept to a reasonable size.

6. Diabetes sufferers are prone to catching colds and flu. There is no evidence to show that people with diabetes are any more or less likely than anybody else to catch a cold or flu. Diabetics must however try their best to avoid such illnesses (for example by having an annual flue shot) because illnesses of this nature can interfere with levels of blood sugar, and thus make the management of diabetes more difficult.

7. Taking insulin can lead to high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries. Early tests suggested that insulin may play a role in triggering processes associated with the development of hardened arteries but this have proved to be incorrect and there is no evidence that insulin causes either high blood pressure or hardening of the arteries.

The list of myths associated with diabetes of course goes on and on, but the 7 listed here are possibly the most commonly heard and, in time, will hopefully be put firmly to rest.