You may have read articles recently suggesting that there is something unique about soda when it comes to diabetes.  Yes, diabetes.  It’s always something if you’re reading the headlines.  But if you dig deep enough, there’s no “there” there.  So today we thought we’d share a few facts with you that just may help put that discussion in perspective.

First, we’d like to remind our readers that food is the number one source of added sugars in the diet for both adults and children – not soda.  Even so, calories from added sugars in soda are down 39 percent since 2000.

But when it comes to diabetes, you may not get a chance to read about a study published late last year in the Journal of Nutrition that is less sensational.  Why?  Because it looked at eight European countries and found no association between digestible carbohydrates, which includes sugar, and diabetes risk.

So here’s what you should know about diabetes:  According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), those at greater risk for Type 2 diabetes include certain racial and ethnic groups (such as Hispanic/Latino, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and American Indians and Alaska Natives), as well as those who are over age 45, have a family history of diabetes, are overweight, do not exercise regularly, have low HDL cholesterol or high triglycerides, high blood pressure, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and/or impaired fasting glucose (IFG), a history of cardiovascular disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, and/or other clinical conditions associated with insulin resistance. In addition, women who had gestational diabetes, or who have had a baby weighing 9 pounds or more at birth, are at greater risk.

Always heed the advice of your health professional, but remember, something you can do to help minimize your diabetes risk is to maintain a healthy weight.  It all comes down to balance.