The Detrimental Effects of SUGAR!

Studies show that here in the United States we consume somewhere between 140 to 170 lbs. of sugar per person each year. We know that sounds outlandish but according to estimates done by the Department of Agriculture it’s true. It’s not only that extra teaspoon of sugar in our coffee, but the amount of sweets, candy, cake, cookies, juices, soft drinks and all the added sugars in processed foods.

We could list over a hundred health problems from consuming sugar, but we won’t bore you. (Read… Lick the Sugar Habit … by Dr. Nancy Appleton, for this list) We’ll just hit a few of the high points.

The Immune System:

First and foremost, the consumption of refined sugar suppresses our immune system. Just one serving of sugar from a soft drink, candy bar, cake, cookie, ice cream, etc. can suppress our immune system for several hours. This leaves us vulnerable to many unwanted invaders, like viruses, bacteria, and yeast/fungi. The yeast issue alone is a problem because once yeast has the upper hand, sugar becomes its fuel and yeast proliferates.

So, you see, when eating sugar day after day, week after week, year after year. The immune system is...that’s right…IN TROUBLE!

Refined sugar is also lacking the minerals needed for assimilation in our bodies. So eating sugar will cause the body to deplete its own store of minerals in order to process it. This will lead to other deficiencies and may cause chronic illness.

The Danger of Diabetes:

No one wants to develop Diabetes. But, overeating refined sugar and sugar products over and over, can lead to this disease. Type 2 Diabetes is at epidemic levels in our country.

Refined sugar has no nutritional value at all. It will supply us with quick energy, but nothing else. It lacks the proper fiber, minerals and enzymes that create a synergistic effect for normal absorption, assimilation and digestion. Therefore, instead of a normal slow release into the blood stream, it enters very quickly, raising blood sugar levels to an unnatural high. We then, feel a fast energy surge, but only for a short while.

Now, the pancreas is signaled to release insulin very quickly, in order to lower our blood sugar level.

Here’s the problem! The pancreas continues to release large amounts of insulin, causing the blood sugar level to drop below normal. Now, the adrenal gland is signaled to release adrenalin to raise blood sugar back to the normal level.

This process of raising our blood sugar level quickly and then dropping it, over and over again, can wear out our pancreas and adrenal glands…and THEN…Yep, you guessed it…Diabetes! Now we face a life of insulin shots or medication and a possibility of additional chronic illnesses, which are linked to this disease.

Our blood sugar is meant to be regulated and only raise and lower past normal levels on occasion. When we eat a good balance of natural foods the sugar is released into the blood stream slowly and levels are maintained in the normal range. Eliminating refined sugar, eating as close to nature as possible (unprocessed foods) and eating balanced (protein, carbohydrate, fat) may be the answer to avoiding this dreaded disease. There is a percentage of Diabetes that is genetic. But, just because some of our relatives have bad eating habits and life styles which have led to Diabetes, doesn’t mean that we have to travel the same road.

Cancer and Sugar:

In 1931, Dr. Otto Warburg was awarded the Nobel Prize in science for his discovery that cancer cells rapidly proliferate in the presence of fermented sugar…ie Sugar feeds Cancer.

Our immune system (without our knowledge) fights and wins at least 6 battles with cancer in our lifetime. We overcome the cancer and go on as normal. But now we know that sugar suppresses the immune system. We now know that many experts believe sugar feeds cancer.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that there…IS… a relationship between sugar and cancer. Think this one over real good…it could be Life Saving!

Suggested reading:
Beating Cancer with Nutrition…by Dr. Patrick Quillian
The Germ That Causes Cancer…by Doug Kaufmann
Lick The Sugar Habit…by Dr. Nancy Appleton

Children and Sugar:

Sugar can have serious consequences for children’s health, and can lead to symptoms associated with ADD/ADHD, depression, asthma, infections, and immune suppression, which can lead to diseases more commonly visible in adults, like cancer and diabetes.

As mentioned earlier, when blood glucose levels fall, adrenaline is released. Blood glucose levels that fall below the normal range can result in a hypoglycemic type response that includes sweating, crying, shaking, altered behavior and altered thinking.

Does your child have difficulty concentrating, act out, or cry and whine more often than normal? Is your child hyper one minute only to crash and become lethargic later? Does he or she get recurrent ear infections and runny noses? Are you making more stops to the doctor’s office only to walk away with another prescription for an antibiotic? If you answered YES! Then your child may be eating too much sugar!!

Finally:

Eating an excessive amount of refined sugar and simple carbohydrates can lead to many health problems. It can cause immune suppression, nutrient deficiencies, and can lead to depression, visual deterioration, migraines, food allergies, bowel problems, oxidative damage due to free radicals, obesity and the list goes on.

Please, friends take this sugar issue very seriously. When the body is in a balanced state (homeostasis) it is healing. Research has proven that refined sugar can throw our health out of balance and put us on a path toward degenerative disease. We believe (and some experts agree) that sugar can be as addictive as drugs.

Yes, we are all going to eat refined sugar products on occasion. But we owe it to our family and friends to educate ourselves about the effects it can have on our health. Only then can we make an informed decision!