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DIET AND FITNESS Sugar--The Disease Connection Related Links: Ideal Breakfast for Diabetics Directory of Sugar Content of Over 2000 Foods Sugar Content of Common Foods Glycemic Index Diabetes Top 10 Health Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup My Heart Attack-A Personal Story How to Curb Your Taste for Sweets How Much Is Too Much Salt Salt Content of Common Foods Ideal Dinner for Diabetics Fatty Diet Linked to Prostate Cancer Good Night's Sleep Helps You Lose Weight Sugar Depresses Your Immune System By Susan M. Callahan, Associate Editor and Featured Columnist 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, at least table sugar, is not actually food. Article Continues Below 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. (Read more about the average lifespans of Americans). And, the higher incidence of diabetes and obesity may be the reason Americans in general only rank 41st in lifespans as compared with our fellow humans in Europe, Japan and elsewhere. Obesity is also the reason that the men in the US suffer disproportionately from snoring and erectile dysfunction. As our waist lines have expanded, our quality of life has plummeted. And the link between all these phenomenon--- sugar. Register --its free, fast and easy. All you need is an e-mail address. Related Links Snoring Raises Your Risk of Stroke by 67% Foods That Shrink Your Waist How Long Will You Live?--Life Expectancy Calculator Diet and Exercise-A Simple Plan Bowels Movements-Great Indicator of Your Overall Health Why Americans Read in Bathrooms--The Hidden Epidemic of Constipation Night Cramps --Why Your Legs Cramp At Night Toxins In Your Everyday Life and Disease Six Pack Abs--Step By Step |
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