? Diabetics are not able to eat chocolate or candy. There is no reason at all why diabetics should not eat candy and chocolate, and indeed cakes and sweet desserts, as along as they are eaten in moderation and are just one element of a normal healthy diet plan.



? Individuals with diabetes should eat only very small quantities of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates, which are found in a variety of foods including bread, beans, pasta, cereals and rice and from which we get much of the glucose needed for energy, are an important element of our diet, whether or not we are diabetic. They also contain a lot of our essential fiber intake. The secret for people with diabetes is simply to ensure that you balance carbohydrates with other food items and that your food portions are kept to a reasonable size.

? Individuals suffering from have 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. Individuals with diabetes should simply eat a normal balanced diet which is low in fat and which contains moderate levels of suager and salt.

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

? Diabetes is a contagious condition. This is false. It is believed however that people who suffer from diabetes have a genetic predisposition for the condition and that it may be triggered by such things as viruses and drugs, which includes antibiotics. It is possible therefore that getting a common illness, or treating that illness with antibiotics, might lead to diabetes.

? Consuming too much sugar can lead to diabetes. In spite of the fact that the reasons for diabetes are not completely understood, it is known that excessive sugar consumption is not one of them. Having said this, consuming excessive sugar could well lead to an individual gaining weight, which is certainly a factor in increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It is however not the sugar but the increase in weight that may result in diabetes.

? Individuals with diabetes are prone to flu and colds. There is absolutely no evidence to show that individuals with diabetes are any more likely than anybody else to catch flu or a cold. Diabetics must however do their best to avoid such illnesses (by, for example, having an annual flu shot) because illnesses of this nature can interfere with levels of blood sugar, and therefore make the management of diabetes more difficult.

The list of myths which are associated with diabetes goes on and on, but the 7 myths listed here are possibly the most commonly heard and, before long, will hopefully be liad firmly to rest.