The Sweetest Poison
 |
| Dorian R |
In short: refined sugar fits every possible definition of poison. Whether in a sugar bowl or in candy, backed good, or "fruit" juice, or in surprising places like salad dressing and wine. Check the ingredient list of any packaged food -- sugar is everywhere.
The average person eats about 130 lbs of sugar in various forms every year. That's over half a cup per day. The average child consumes about 32 teaspoons a day! Would you knowingly let your child eat that?
The average person eats about 130 lbs of sugar in various forms every year. That's over half a cup per day. The average child consumes about 32 teaspoons a day! Would you knowingly let your child eat that?
Eating
sugar activates the food-craving parts of your brain — the all-too-common
"sugar rush". That's why once you start eating sweet foods, you can
easily go overboard.
What does sugar do to your body? Many bad things. Consuming processed sugar
depletes the body of B vitamins, which can contribute to heart palpitations,
chronic fatigue, paranoia, anxiety, lack of focus, indigestion, insomnia and
cravings for yet more sugar. Sugar causes the digestive tract to become
dangerously acidic. It causes vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium,
and potassium to be leached from the body, and puts stress on the pancreas.
We
secrete insulin in response to eating carbohydrates and sugar, which controls
blood sugar levels. Do this often enough, and your body stops reacting to
insulin (known as insulin resistance), and your blood sugar levels get
out of control. Chronically elevated levels of insulin can contribute to
diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, lower HDL (“good” cholesterol)
and higher levels of LDL (“bad” cholesterol).
Recent
research suggests that cancer cells thrive on insulin, so if you are insulin
resistant, or your body is constantly producing insulin, your risk of cancer
increases.
Need
more horror stories? Refined sugar inhibits blood flow which contributes to
aging, wrinkles, dry skin and suppresses the immune system.
Synthetic
sugar substitutes like Equal (aspartame) and Sweet 'n' Low (saccharin) are no
better. They are also highly toxic, contributing to ailments like migraine,
depression, anxiety, muscle pain, arthritis flare-ups, buzzing or ringing in
the ears, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),
Crohn's disease, inflammation, and acid reflux. That's quite a list!
Escape
from the sugar monster!
Believe me, I know it's easier said than done to stop eating sugar. But do your best. Watch for it in ingredient lists, avoid processed foods, and try to stay below 5 to 7 teaspoons of processed sugar a day (about 20 grams of sugar give or take a few). If you're a sugar junkie, you'll be amazed at how much better you feel after a few days. And the long-term benefits are many.
Want a
good fright this Halloween? Think about the wicked tricks sugar plays on your
health!
Further reading and references:
Is Sugar Toxic? (New York Times article)
Is Sugar Toxic? (CBS News, with video)
Artificial Sweetener Disease: A New Breed of Sickness
14 Mind-blowing facts about sugarFurther reading and references:
Is Sugar Toxic? (New York Times article)
Is Sugar Toxic? (CBS News, with video)
Artificial Sweetener Disease: A New Breed of Sickness
Perils of a Sugar-coated Scapegoat
-Dorian Romer
917-974-8207
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