Mailbag: Can A Diabetic Enjoy Desserts? The Surprising Answer
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted April 15, 2025
“If you have diabetes, may you eat a very few sweets in a week?”
—Sweet Tooth
Hi Sweet Tooth,
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition where your body either resists the effects of insulin (a hormone that regulates sugar in your blood) or doesn’t produce enough of it to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Insulin works like a key to unlock sugar from your food, allowing it to enter your cells and be used as energy. With type 2 diabetes, this system doesn’t work correctly. Either the key doesn’t work well (insulin resistance) or there aren’t enough keys (insufficient insulin production).
This causes sugar to build up in your bloodstream instead of moving into your cells. It’s why, when my patients come asking about eating a limited number of sweets, I’m clear in my answer.
With diabetes, we need to be extremely cautious about ANY sugar consumption. Uncontrolled diabetes increases the risk of many serious diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and dementia.
However, the severity of someone’s diabetes matters as well.
Typically, I tell my patients if their blood sugar is well controlled (A1C below seven percent), then a small treat once or twice a week might be manageable if they:
- monitor their blood sugar regularly
- keep portions tiny
- time it carefully to be after a protein-rich, fiber-filled meal
- exercise immediately afterward
However, for those patients with poorly controlled diabetes (A1C above seven percent), I explain that eating any added sugars is playing with fire.
Even small amounts of sugar can trigger dangerous blood sugar spikes. And each spike can damage nerves and blood vessels. The risks far outweigh any momentary pleasure.
I get it. Giving up sugary sweets is hard. In fact, our brains are essentially hardwired to crave the stuff. But there are some tasty alternatives that can satisfy a sweet tooth while not sending blood sugar soaring.
- A small handful of berries (nature’s candy, but with blood-sugar balancing fiber)
- Cinnamon-dusted apple slices (the cinnamon helps with blood sugar control)
- Unsweetened coconut flakes
- A square of 90 percent or higher dark chocolate (very occasionally)
I also encourage them to consider a few blood-sugar-supporting supplements—especially if they have a sweet tooth. My topic picks are…
- Berberine (nature’s metformin)
- Gymnema sylvestra (makes sweets taste less appealing!)
- Alpha-lipoic acid
- Chromium
With diabetes, you’re already fighting an uphill battle with blood sugar control, so it’s best to avoid anything that makes it harder for your body to get the job done. While resisting the siren call of sugary sweets can be difficult, it gets easier with time.
P.S. Science finally reveals WHY we crave comfort foods (and the FIX!).
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
View More Free Articles
A New Reason to Ditch Processed Junk
If you’ve ever walked the inside aisles of your local grocery store and thought, “This is all just junk,” your instincts were spot on. A new study published in the journal Thorax just added another red flag to the list of dangers linked to ultra-processed food—a 41 percent higher risk of lung cancer. That’s right....
When Being Winded on Stairs Is Serious (And When It Isn’t)
I had an athlete visit me recently because he experienced shortness of breath while climbing stairs. He is in great shape, so he was worried about what it might mean. “Doc,” he said, “I run five miles three times a week. Why am I huffing and puffing after two flights of stairs?” His concern is...
Study EXPOSES Hidden Danger Lurking in Your Car
We think of our homes and cars as safe havens. But according to a startling new study, they may be flooding your lungs with microscopic plastic particles—every single day. Researchers in France recently found that adults inhale an average of 68,000 microplastic particles daily from indoor air alone. To put that in perspective, that’s about...
Mailbag: Is Modern Food Making You Snore?
“What can cause snoring, and is there a way to correct this issue?” —Seeking Silence Hi Seeking, Snoring happens when the soft tissues in your throat relax and vibrate as air passes through during sleep. While several factors can cause snoring—from sleep position to nasal congestion—I want to share one trigger that might surprise you....
Simple Food Swap SLASHES Dementia Risk 28%
Let’s be honest… who would jump at the chance to cut their dementia risk by 28 percent. And no, you don’t need to run marathons, survive on broccoli, or learn to play the zither (whatever that is) to make it happen. All it takes is one easy swap—something that’s probably already in your refrigerator. Researchers...
This SMART Floss Exposes Hidden Health Danger
Scientists have created dental floss that doesn’t just clean between your teeth—it also tracks your stress while you’re flossing. Now, I know what you’re thinking… “Great—now even flossing is going to stress me out by telling me how stressed I am.” But this fascinating new tool from Tufts University could be a game-changer for understanding...
Is This "Safe" Sweetener Damaging Your Brain?
The headlines are alarming… “Popular Sugar Substitute Linked to Brain Cell Damage” and “Erythritol Could Damage Critical Brain Barrier” are just two of the dozens I’ve spotted recently. But before you toss every sugar-free product in your pantry, let’s take a closer look at what this study actually shows—and what it doesn’t. The latest research...
This Summer Threat Could SPIKE Your Blood Sugar
Picture this… It’s another scorching hot summer day. You crank up the air conditioning while watching the weather forecast, which predicts yet another “record-breaking” heat wave. It’s starting to feel like just another miserably uncomfortable summer. But what you might not realize is that—if you have diabetes—those rising temps could do far more damage to...
Move Over Yogurt—5 Foods That Pack MORE Probiotics
Let’s talk about your gut. The microbiome is the collection of trillions of bacteria and other tiny organisms that live in and on your body—especially in your gut—and help keep you healthy. I’ve written often about how vital it is to maintain a healthy microbiome. And you might have dutifully added yogurt to your shopping...
Is Your Heart Older Than YOU?
Maybe you feel young for your age. Good energy, decent sleep, eating your veggies. But what if I told you your heart might be a decade older than the rest of you? That’s exactly what researchers at Northwestern University found in a new study published in JAMA Cardiology. The average American woman’s heart is about...