SUGAR ...and why we should regulate our intake.
Thought I would post some interesting info. on the subject that I read about, thanks to a newsletter from Mother's Market.
"Sugar consumption is off the charts," reports Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and editor-in-chief of Nutrition Action Health Letter.
Sugars - in this post, include white sugar, brown sugar, dehydrated cane sugar, "raw" sugar, turbinado sugar, maple sugar/syrup, other syrup, honey, and fructose. Refined carbohydrates include white flour, white rice, instant potatoes, and most packaged breakfast cereals....often affecting blood sugar levels as quickly as concentrated sweets.
Here are some interesting blips from the newsletter:
"Way back in 1942, the American Medical Association first expressed concern about sweetened sodas, candy, and other foods rich in sugar but poor in nutrition. Now consider this. Forty yearslater, the FDA issued a report based on a review of medical journal articles about sugar. The authors concluded that when sugar consistently accounts for 25-50 percent of caloric intake (the amount persons of all ages are eating), the result is one or more serious health problems. Cardiovascular risk, diabetes, glucose intolerance (and other blood sugar abnormalities), behavioral changes, gallstones, excess calcium in the urine (a symptom of pending osteoporosis), and mineral deficiencies are implicated."
* 1 out of 2 persons develops heart disease.
* 1 out of 3 develops cancer.
* 1 out of 5 develops diabetes.
* Birth defects are on the rise.
* Children are not as strong as they were 50 years ago
* Incidences of ADHD and ADD are way up
* Allergies are rampant
* The number of overweight & obese continues to increase
"As pointed out by the FDA report, every one of these developments is associated with eating sugar."
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"TRUE. Our bodies do need sugar. (We convert it into blood sugar, glucose.) Yes, we would die without it. However, we never need to eat any kind of concentrated sweetener, processed or natural, to provide glucose, not even fruit. All the glucose we need is in complex carbohydrates like vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. (Plus, if need be, our bodies can make glucose from protein and fat.)
Further, complex carbohydrates are chock-a-block with healthy ingredients. These include nutrients that help metabolize sugar. For one, fiber helps keep cholestoral down and regularity up. Best of all, the body's leisurely, natural breakdown of complex carbs slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream, bringing us an even energy supply.
Since we don't need concentrated sweets or refined carbohydrates at all, what happens when we eat such large amounts of them? According to Dr. Appleton, eating just two teaspoons of sugar is enough to throw our blood chemistry out of balance. The resulting biochemical chaos can last for 6-8 hours. If you eat sugar (or other refined carbohydrates) morning, noon, and night, your body chemistry is in chaos 24 hours a day."
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>>> I reckon since this is a lot of information to put in one post...let alone to ever really get a full handle on...I'll put up more information in the next several consecutive posts. I'll touch on the following reactions to too much sugar intake (which, hey, is all of us): 1) insulin imbalance, 2) acidic pH, 3) stress response, 4) immune suppression, and 5) sugar-damaged proteins. Followed by, most importantly, solutions to our national epidemic. <<< | 
