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DIET AND FITNESS
Sugar--The Disease Connection
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How Much Sugar Do Americans Consume
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Glycemic Index
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Artificial Sweeteners-What's Really In Them?
January 1, 2008, Updated March 23, 2010
By Susan M. Callahan, Associate Editor and Featured
Columnist
What do porcupines spikes and sugar have in common?
Plenty. Sugar molecules are actually spiky, like porcupine
needles. And, when you ingest sugar, you are doing just
about as much damage to your body as you would if you
swallowed tiny spiky porcupines. Let's follow the
connection between sugar and disease.
The first connection is inflammation. Inflammation inside
the body creates conditions which lead to heart disease,
stroke and cancer (See Inflammation –The Secret Cause of
Disease). But which foods cause the greatest amount of
internal inflammation?
Sugar is one of the chief causes of internal inflammation.
When we ingest table sugar, the body produces insulin in
order to metabolize, transform, the sugar into a form useful
for energy. Insulin and sugar levels strike a perfect
balance when we eat only that amount of sugar that will be
converted to the exact amount of energy we need. When
that balance is struck, no excess sugar hangs around in the
blood stream.
When excess sugar hangs around in the bloodstream, the
body produces excessive amounts of insulin. The extra
insulin molecules are like tiny porcupine balls. They are
jagged. When they travel down the blood river flowing
through our bodies, they cut into the banks of the river—
our arteries. They nick the walls, creating injuries.
A nick here and there is no problem for the body. But
create enough nicks and you’ve got a major repair job to
fix. Bad cholesterol –LDL—handy for patching the nicks and
holes in the artery walls, creates uneven bits and pieces of
plaque which can break off, float further down the blood
river, and cause stroke or heart blockage. High levels of
insulin also can cause diabetes, which can lead to organ
failures such as kidney disease, heart disease, nerve
damage and circulation problems, all of which can lead to
premature death. Higher levels of insulin also trigger the
body’s fat controls, telling the body to hang on to fat
reserves. In a real sense, sugar makes you fat. (See
Diabetes—The Silent Killer )
Sugar Is Not Food
Sugar, at least table sugar, is not actually food.
Foods contain nutrients needed by the body. Even salt,
which in excess can cause its own problems (click here for
more on salt), is a nutrient which the body needs. But
table sugar is not a food. The body could get along just
fine on the levels of sugar found in foods containing
carbohydrates --- breads, starches, fruits even some
vegetables contain high levels of carbohydrates. In fact,
the levels of carbohydrates in the average diets of
Americans, the British and growing numbers of people
around the world – far exceed what you need daily.
To make sure you are not eating excess insulin-producing
carbohydrates, you should follow a “low glycemic” diet.
The Glycemic Index tells you which foods raise sugar levels
in the body. High glycemic foods raise the levels highest
and produce injury-causing insulin. Low glycemic foods
keep the levels of sugar in balance with insulin production.
They help in controlling diabetes if you already have it.
They help in preventing diabetes if you don't. Click here for
a list of low glycemic, anti-inflammatory foods.
Sugar can shorten your lifespan. Eating with a natural
balance of sugar and insulin in mind can’t guarantee that
you won’t develop life-threatening disease –but eating
excessive amounts of sugar almost guarantees that you will
shorten the amount of good, healthy years you will live.
Studies estimate that untreated, uncontrolled diabetes may
be the one of the key reason Africans Americans have
lifespans almost a full five years shorter than white
Americans. (click here for more on lifespans of Americans).
And, the higher incidence of diabetes and obesity is a big
part of the reason Americans in general only rank 41st in
lifespans as compared with our fellow humans in Europe,
Japan and elsewhere.
You're just getting started. Learn more about the
connections between food and disease. Then, be a friend to
your friends, and tell them about the tips you just learned:
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/Ideal Breakfast for Diabetics / Top 10 Foods That Fight
Depression / Bowel Color -What It Really Means/ Why Fast
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Back Pain-Top 10 Natural Remedies
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Health News Get Daily Health News from AP, a leading global news organization. Diet and Fitness Current and best sources of nutrition advice and recipes. How Much Is Too Much Salt? How Much Salt Is In My Food? Sodium Content of Common Foods Isolation-TheSilent Killer I Have High Blood Pressure! Foods That Lower Your Blood Pressure Quinoa-The New Superfood Bowels Are Key to Health Intestines-Keep Them Healthy Olive Oil-Drink and Live Longer Onions Prevent Heart Disease Coffee Fights Cancer 10 Easy Tips To Turn Inflammation Fat--It's Alive! TasteBuds--The Secret to Losing Weight Diabetes Lifespans of Americans Glycemic Index Links Why We Go Soft In the Middle Why Europeans Are Thinner Brain Health Ten Signs He's Leaving You Links Stategies on improving cognitive function, memory, acuity, including crossword puzzles Links and Resources |
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