SUGAR: IS IT DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH? BE INFORMED!

Note: Read the following information, consult your healthcare provider, and then make an informed decision concerning sugar usage.

According to Nancy Appleton, Ph.D., author of Lick the Sugar Habit, Healthy Bones, and Balanced Body Secret, sugar can ruin your health! Dr. Appleton is a nutritional consultant, researcher, author and lecturer. She sites a number of ways that sugar can affect your overall health. They are:

1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
2. Sugar upsets the minerals in the body.
3. Sugar causes hyperactivity in children.
4. Sugar produces a significant rise in triglycerides.
5. Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection.
6. Sugar can cause kidney damage.
7. Sugar reduces high-density lipoproteins.
8. Sugar leads to chromium deficiency.
9. Sugar leads to cancer of the breast, ovaries, intestines, prostate and rectum.
10. Sugar increases fasting levels of glucose and insulin.
11. Sugar causes copper deficiency.
12. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
13. Sugar weakens eyesight.
14. Sugar raises the level of neurotransmitters called serotonin.
15. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
16. Sugar can produce an over-acid stomach.
17. Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
18. Sugar can lead to anxiety, difficulty concentrating and crankiness in children.
19. Sugar can cause aging.
20. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
21. Sugar causes tooth decay.
22. Sugar contributes to obesity.
23. Sugar can cause changes frequently found in persons with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
24. Sugar can cause acidity in the stomach.
25. Sugar can cause arthritis.
26. Sugar can cause asthma.
27. Sugar can cause Candida albicans (yeast infections.)
28. Sugar can cause gallstones.
29. Sugar can cause heart disease.
30. Sugar can cause appendicitis
31. Sugar can cause multiple sclerosis.
32. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.
33. Sugar can cause varicose veins.
34. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.
35. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
36. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
37. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
38. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
39. Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
40. Sugar can decrease growth hormone.
41. Sugar can increase cholesterol.
42. Sugar can increase the systolic blood pressure.
43. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
44. Sugar can cause migraine headaches.
45. Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein.
46. Sugar causes food allergies.
47. Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
48. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
49. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.

DID YOU KNOW?

William Duffy, author of, Sugar Blues, says that sugar is much like a drug and “the difference between sugar addiction and narcotic addiction is largely one of degree.” Sugar is physically addictive and eating even a small amount (for example, one candy or one bit of cake) can create such a desire in some people that they can’t stop! And, some people that quit eating sugar “cold turkey”, often go through withdrawal symptoms such as: depression, mood swings, fatigue, headaches, and strong cravings. Sugar is an acquired taste!

Sugar is a “simple” carbohydrate, and we often think of it only as “white” or “brown”, but it is also part of many other foodstuffs. It’s the lactose in milk, maltose in grain, fructose in fruit, sucrose (refined sugar), and more. (Brown sugar is simple white sugar with a bit of molasses added back in, or colored with caramel.)

Excessive sugar consumption is believed to be involved in many common health problems: heart disease, high cholesterol, obesity, hyperactivity, hypoglycemia, diabetes, indigestion, myopia, seborrheic dermatitis, gout, depression, lack of concentration, anxiety, and more. Sugar is rapidly converted in the blood to fat (triglycerides), which increases obesity, risk of heart disease, and diabetes and sugar greatly increases the risk of dental decay. It is devoid of vitamins, minerals, or fiber. It is an empty food. And, the lack of fiber in sugar causes a tendency to overeat.

Remember the outcry of the ‘80s that all fat was bad? In the process, the danger of eating too much refined sugar was lost. Typically, the lower the fat in a product, the higher the sugar content. With all of this “fat” avoidance, the state of disease has NOT lessened! In fact, the opposite is true and sugar is the real culprit. It raises high blood pressure and when mixed with animal fats leads to atherosclerosis. By increasing the stickiness of the blood, it increases the possibility of blood clots. (Adapted from Nutrition, Cooking, and Healing by Paulette Millis, RNC.)

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, author of Total Health Program, excess sugar may result in a number of significant metabolic consequences, including throwing off your body’s homeostasis. He offers 78 effects here. (His information is derived from a variety of medical journals and other scientific publications. Some may reiterate Dr. Appleton’s list, but are still important to note.)

1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.
2. Sugar can upset the body’s mineral balance.
3. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
5. Sugar can adversely affect children’s school grades.
6. Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
7. Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
8. Sugar can cause kidney damage.
9. Sugar can reduce helpful high density cholesterol (HDLs).
10. Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
11. Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency.
12. Sugar can cause copper deficiency.
13. Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
14. Sugar may lead to cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, and rectum.
15. Sugar can cause colon cancer, with an increased risk in women.
16. Sugar can be a risk factor in gall bladder cancer.
17. Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
18. Sugar can weaken eyesight.
19. Sugar raises the level of a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which can narrow blood vessels.
20. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
21. Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.
22. Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
23. Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
24. Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
25. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
26. Sugar can promote tooth decay.
27. Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
28. High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
29. Sugar can cause a raw, inflamed intestinal tract in persons with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
30. Sugar can cause arthritis
31. Sugar can cause asthma.
32. Sugar can cause yeast infection.
33. Sugar can lead to the formation of gallstones.
34. Sugar can lead to the formation of kidney stones.
35. Sugar can cause ischemic heart disease.
36. Sugar can cause appendicitis.
37. Sugar can exacerbate the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.
38. Sugar can indirectly cause hemorrhoids.
39. Sugar can cause varicose veins.
40. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraception users.
41. Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
42. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
43. Sugar contributes to saliva acidity.
44. Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
45. Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
46. Sugar can decrease growth hormone.
47. Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
48. Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
49. Sugar can change the structure of protein causing interference with protein absorption.
50. Sugar causes food allergies.
51. Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
52. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
53. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
54. Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
55. Sugar can impair the structure of DNA.
56. Sugar can cause cataracts.
57. Sugar can cause emphysema.
58. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
59. Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
60. Sugar lowers the enzymes’ ability to function.
61. Sugar can cause loss of tissue elasticity and function.
62. Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
63. Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
64. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney.
65. Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.
66. Sugar can increase the body’s fluid retention.
67. Sugar can cause constipation.
68. Sugar can cause myopia (nearsightedness).
69. Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
70. Sugar can cause hypertension.
71. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
72. Sugar can cause an increase in certain brain waves, which can alter the mind’s ability to think clearly.
73. Sugar can cause depression.
74. Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets compared to low sugar diets.
75. Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.
76. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
77. Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness, which increases risk of blood clots.
78. Sugar increases the risk of Alzheimer Disease.

Additional Links: http://www.ghchealth.com/refined-sugar-the-sweetest-poison-of-all.html
http://www.mercola.com/ | http://www.fda.gov/

Be sure to read food labels and be aware of sugar, including “hidden sugar”, in foods. The number of foods containing sugar on our supermarket shelves and in restaurants is HUGE, particularly in processed foods. To name a few: cereals, ketchup, canned fruit and vegetables, hamburgers (to reduce shrinkage and add juiciness), frozen fish, breading in deep fried foods, condiments, frozen foods, bakery items, fruit juices, soda, processed meats, salad dressings, etc.

HIDDEN SUGAR – one danger / many names:

Sugar (sucrose) - the refined crystallized sugar; a combination of glucose and fructose.
Dextrose (glucose) - a simple sugar made of only one molecule.
Lactose - a simple sugar from milk.
Maltose - a simple sugar made from starch, usually grains.
Maltodextrin - a manufactured sugar from maltose and dextrose.
Brown sugar - the refined sugar coated with molasses or colored with caramel.
Raw sugar - a less refined sugar with a small amount of molasses remaining.
Fructose - a simple sugar refined from fruit. Did you know? White grape juice - a highly purified fructose solution; virtually no other nutrients are present.
Corn syrup - manufactured syrup of cornstarch, containing varying proportions of glucose, maltose, and dextrose.
High-fructose corn syrup - highly concentrated syrup of predominantly fructose. (Stay away from this one… it’s in a LOT of food products!)

Typically, when ingredients are listed on a product, they must be listed from largest amount down to smallest amount found in that product. Do not be fooled into thinking there is very little sugar in an item if it is not listed near the beginning. Often you will find three or four of the above aliases in the ingredient listing, meaning that in the end the product may be mostly sugar!

TIPS TO CUT DOWN ON SUGAR INTAKE

• Eat whole unprocessed foods with nothing added, e.g., whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, fresh fruits and vegetables, and unprocessed meat, poultry, and fish.
• Read all labels! Become familiar with the different names for sugar and make the decision to leave those with sugars on the shelf. Beware of those “fat-free” foods that may be laden with sugar.
• Eliminate soft drinks, sugared fruit juices, and baked goods made with sugar.
• Replace refined sugars with brown rice syrup, Stevia, pureed dates or prunes, or maple syrup.
• Do NOT use sugar substitutes, especially aspartame, or aspartame-sweetened foods. Aspartame breaks down into aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol, which degrades into formaldehyde—a well-known toxin.
• Buy cookbooks without sugar and/or convert your favorite recipes using the natural sweeteners such as fruit purees, brown rice syrup, stevia, maple syrup, fruit juice, etc.
• Be sparing with all concentrated sugars, natural or not.
• Let desserts be special, not everyday fare. Serve desserts alone, away from protein and fat meals. Fruit desserts are best.
• Use unsweetened juice; make you own fresh squeezed rather than buying processed and sweetened juices.
• If you must use canned fruit, choose no sugar added or canned in their own juices.
• Do NOT use sweets as a reward!
• Snack on whole foods like nuts and seeds, fruits, or veggies and dip rather than candy and other sweets.
• Eliminate processed cereals entirely, and make whole or cracked grain cereals, or make granola using fruits as a sweetener. Eliminate refined sugar on cereals and fruits and beverages; use natural sweeteners if necessary.
• Do not put sugar on the table. Use raisins, dates, etc.
• To help reduce cravings, supplement your diet with a good quality high potency multi-vitamin and minerals.
• The best way to get sugar out of the diet? DON’T HAVE IT IN THE HOUSE! Substitute, instead, with natural sweeteners.

RECIPE: *Carob Mousse

- taken from THE SECRETS OF NATURAL HEALING WITH FOOD - Nancy Appleton

3 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup carob powder (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla (or to taste)
1/2 cup whipping cream

Bake or steam the sweet potatoes until tender. Peel and fluff with carob powder and vanilla. Blend well. Whip cream and fold gently into mixture, blending well. Spoon into champaign glasses. Chill and serve cold. Makes 6 servings.

*Carob is a healthy alternative to chocolate and can be found in health food stores and often grocery stores.