To help separate fact from fiction, here are ten myths and the truth about diabetes.

1. All diabetes is inherited. Not everyone who gets diabetes inherits it. People tend to inherit the risk of type 2 diabetes more than type 1. You are considered at risk for developing type 2 if any first-degree relatives have diabetes.
2. People with diabetes should never eat sugar and sweets. Sugar and sweets do raise your blood glucose, but people with diabetes can safely eat sugar as part of their meal plan. And just to clear up another myth, you can’t get diabetes from eating too much sugar.
3. You can have borderline diabetes for many years. There is no such thing as borderline diabetes. You either have it, or you don’t. You have diabetes if a) your fasting blood glucose readings of greater are than 126 mg/dl, or b) your random blood glucose is above 200 mg/dl on at least two occasions.
4. Once you start taking pills or insulin, you can eat anything that you want. The pills or insulin that you take for diabetes are more effective when they don’t have to work as hard to lower your blood glucose. Combining your medicines with a healthy meal plan and physical activity gives you the most for your money.
5. There are no natural remedies for diabetes. The most natural remedy is eating a healthy diet and exercise. Healthy eating and physical activity help to lower your blood glucose levels.
6. Insulin causes impotence. Some men who have diabetes may become impotent, but not because they take insulin. Impotence or erectile dysfunction is caused by damage to nerves caused by many years of high blood glucose.
7. The best way to judge your blood sugar level is by the way that you feel. Some people have symptoms when their blood glucose is too high or low, others do not. Because some of the symptoms of high and low blood glucose are similar, it can be hard to know what your symptoms mean. The only way to be sure is to check your blood glucose.
8. It’s a good idea to soak your feet every day if you have diabetes. This used to be a common practice, but soaking your feet can make your skin dry and is no longer recommended.
9. If my blood sugar is usually over 180 mg/dl, that must be normal for me. No. Your usual blood glucose isn’t the same as normal blood glucose. Just because your blood glucose is usually high, does not mean that this is a good blood glucose level. High blood glucose levels that are above recommended goals do damage to many organs and systems in your body.
10. Type 2 diabetes is not serious. This is a very dangerous myth because people who believe it may not take care of themselves. All types of diabetes are serious, and need to be taken seriously by people who have it and their families.