Sub-Saharan Africa is currently estimated to have 20 million people suffering from diabetes with about 62% of cases remaining undiagnosed. This number is expected to reach 41.4 million by 2035 or an increase of 109.1%. In sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria has the highest number of people with diabetes with an estimated 3.9 million people (or an extrapolated prevalence of 4.99%) of the adult population aged 20-79-year-old.

The above extract is from a 2013 World Health Assembly held in Geneva. A 2018 study shows that these numbers have not reduced, in Nigeria at least. If anything, reports show that they are on the rise and we may reach the projected percentage if nothing changes.

While our diet and lifestyle choices are the greatest contributors to the prevalence of this disease, common and widespread myths contribute to the high number of related deaths which was put at 105,091 as at 2013 and was estimated to increase annually by 125,000 between 2010-2030 in Nigeria alone. Diabetes, like many other non-communicable diseases, is a complex illness with no cure, and as sufferers struggle to live with it, they are often bombarded with falsehoods that promise everything and do nothing.

Dr. Barbara Akinbuwa, a family physician & endocrinologist, diabetes specialist and digital healthcare advocate shares some of these myths and the truths surrounding them.

Myth 1: Diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar.

Truth: Eating sugar in and of itself does not cause diabetes (but you should still cut back on sugar and sugary foods). It’s not a surprise that people think sugar causes diabetes. This confusion comes from the fact that all consumed carbohydrate is converted into glucose. Glucose is also called blood sugar. It is an energy source for the body. Insulin secreted in the body is responsible for moving glucose from the blood into the cells. With diabetes, the body does not make enough insulin, or the body does not use insulin well. As a result, the excess sugar stays in the blood, so the blood glucose (blood sugar) level increases. Eating a lot of sugar and drinking sugar-sweetened beverages could make you overweight and being overweight does increase your risk for diabetes.

Myth 2: People with diabetes can’t eat sugar.

Truth: Having diabetes means the body can’t process glucose properly but glucose is still needed. It’s the energy source of the body. Every cell in your body lives on glucose. People with diabetes should avoid eating sugar as much as possible. They should get their glucose supply from complex carbohydrates which increases their blood sugar levels gradually. Smaller quantities of glucose released into their bloodstream are handled better.

Myth 3: There is one superfood or vegetable that can cure diabetes.

Truth: Diabetes is a metabolic disorder. It cannot be cured. It can be managed and prevented. No single food provides a cure for diabetes.

Myth 4: Once blood sugar levels fall, it’s fine to stop the medication.

Truth: Diabetes is a chronic disease. It doesn’t end. The medication you take does not remove the problem; they only help control it. It’s like having a fenced compound with a gate so your chickens do not wander off and get missing. If you lock the gate (take your medication) the chickens remain within the fence. They can wander off, but it is harder. If you unlock the gate and it’s left open, however…

Please, don’t stop taking your medication!

Myth 5: People with diabetes have limited employment options.

Truth: Diabetes might be considered an inconvenience but it is not a disability. It does not physically hinder you from any opportunity. People with diabetes have done amazing things, filled a variety of roles, and work in nearly every profession and occupation.

Myth 6: Diabetics should only eat meals prepared with beans or millet.

Truth: Beans are an excellent, affordable source of protein, fibre, and minerals. They also contain some levels of carbohydrates. Honey beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris) for instance contain more carbohydrate than cowpea (regular white beans). So, to think you’re avoiding carbohydrates by eating only beans is erroneous. The second important consideration is that a diabetic needs a balanced diet. You need to eat all classes of food so you get all the nutrients you require.

Myth 7: It’s okay to use honey as a sweetener

Truth: There’s no advantage for a diabetic to use honey over sugar. Diabetics should avoid both honey and sugar. Both honey and sugar have a high glycaemic index so both raise blood sugar levels.

Myth 8: People with diabetes have sexual dysfunction.

Truth: Diabetes can affect practically any organ in the body. When reproductive organs are affected, it could cause decreased libido and erectile disorders in men. Women who have diabetes usually have more miscarriages than women without. However, the good news is it does not happen to all diabetics. Secondly, it is more common in patients who have had diabetes for a long time with poor control.

Myth 9: Diabetes can be cured by consuming bitter foods like bitter leaf, pumpkin leaf (ugwu), or moringa leaf.

Truth: This myth is based on the premise that since diabetes has to do with excess sugar in the body, consuming something bitter will somehow neutralize or counter the effect of the excess sugar. It’s not that simple as that: diabetes doesn’t occur because one has suddenly consumed too much sugar.

Myth 10: Diabetes can be cured if a patient drinks their urine.

Truth: Urine is a means by which the body gets rid of substances it does not need; it is a method of excretion. Drinking it only serves to put back into the system what the body has excreted.