SUGARS, ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS AND REFINED CARBOHYDRATES

The average American consumes an average of 150 pounds of sugar every year first and foremost through soft drinks. Secondly, through the addition of sugar in processed foods. Sugar is everywhere: tomato sauce, mustard, bread, frozen dinners, canned soup and coffee creamer. Commercial cereals contain as much as 2 tablespoons of sugar in one serving. A 12-ounce bottle of soda contains as much as 9-11 teaspoons of refined sugar.

Health and Wellness Sugar’s adverse affect on our health:

Blood-Sugar Regulation

A diet high in sugar or refined carbohydrates (white bread, starches, etc) stimulates the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin is a hormone that delivers glucose (sugar) into the cells to use as fuel. Sometimes when insulin is re- leased in large quantities, as after eating a candy bar, instead of just bringing blood sugar levels back to normal, the blood sugar will drop to below normal levels (hypoglycemia). This hypoglycemic state signals the brain to seek out more food. Hence the person will eat more high-sugar foods or drinks to quickly get the blood sugar back to comfortable levels. This leads to a sugar ‘addiction’. For optimal health and weight it is crucial to avoid those insulin spikes and keep blood sugar at rather constant levels.

Weight Gain

Repeated elevated insulin levels in a predominantly sedentary persons means that calories will be stored as fat.

‘Wearing-out’ of Pancreas

Repeated spikes on blood sugar will force the pancreas to overwork which means that it eventually will ‘wear out’. When that happens we will develop diabetes.

Insulin Resistance

Insulin is responsible for removing sugar from the bloodstream so that it can be used for energy in the cells. In insulin resistance, the body's cells have a diminished ability to respond to the action of the insulin hormone. To compensate for the insulin resistance, the pancreas secretes more insulin. Chronically high insulin levels cause weight gain and diabetes.

Increase of plaque in arteries

When blood sugar levels remain too high for too long, the body can convert the sugar to fatty acids, which increases lipids in the blood and encourages atherosclerosis (build-up of plaque in the arteries)

Deficiency of Vitamins and Minerals

Excess sugar can also cause excretion of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, including calcium, chromium, magnesium, zinc, and copper.

Bone Loss and Osteoporosis

A reduction in calcium then stimulates the secretion of parathyroid hormone. This hormone is respon- sible for reestablishing proper calcium levels by drawing from calcium reserves in the bones. Thus, excess sugar can contribute to bone loss and osteoporosis.

Weakening of Immune System

Sugar interferes with with the ability of white blood cells to scavenge and destroy bacteria. This means our bodies will have a harder time fighting off infections.

Increase in Free Radicals

Free Radicals in a nutshell: The nucleus of an atom is surrounded by a cloud of electrons. These electrons surround the nucleus in pairs, but occasionally an atom loses an electron, leaving the atom with an "unpaired" electron. The atom is then called a "free radical", and it is very reactive. When cells in the body encounter a free radical, the reactive radical may cause destruction in the cell. Cells con- tinuously produce free radicals, and constant free radical damage eventually kills the cell. When free radicals kill or damage enough cells in an organism, the organism ages. Sugar will increase free-radi- cal production in the body.

Artificial Sweeteners

More and more studies reveal that artificial sweeteners do not help people to lose weight. Their sweet taste may trick the brain into responding as if carbohydrates had been consumed, thereby triggering an insulin response.

Currently available artificial sweeteners:

Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. Aspartic acid is an amino acid that significantly raises the blood plasma level of as- partate. Too much aspartate in the brain kills certain neurons. The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate is why it is referred to as an "excitotoxin." It "excites" or stimulates the neural cells to death. The large majority (75 percent or more) of neural cells in a particular area of the brain are killed before any clinical symptoms of a chronic illness are noticed. A few of the many chronic illnesses that have been shown to be aggravated by long-term exposure to excitatory amino acid damage include:

* Multiple sclerosis (MS) * ALS * Memory loss * Hormonal problems * Hearing loss * Epilepsy * Alzheimer's disease * Parkinson's disease * Hypoglycemia * AIDS * Dementia * Brain lesions * Neuroendocrine disorders

Sucralose or Splenda

Although it is marketed as "made from sugar," it is not sugar. Sucralose is made by chemically altering the structure of sugar molecules by adding chlorine atoms. Sucralose is therefore chlorinated sugar; a chlorocarbon. Chlorocarbons are poisonous; they're used in bleach, disin- fectants, insecticide, poison gas, and hydrochloric acid. In addition, compounds such as chlo- rine, fluoride (in water and toothpaste) and bromine ( in baked goods) may lead to a sluggish thyroid or hypothyroidism. The US FDA approved sucralose in 1998, but it has not yet been approved in most European nations. The pre-approval tests conducted on animals showed toxicity:

* Shrunken thymus glands (up to 40% shrinkage) * Enlarged liver and kidneys * Atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus * Increased weight * Reduced growth rate * Decreased red blood cell count * Hyperplasia of the pelvis * Extension of the pregnancy period * Aborted pregnancy * Decreased fetal body weights and placental weights * Diarrhea

SUGAR ALOCOHOLS - MALITOL, SORBITOL, XYLITOL, ETC

"Sugar alcohols" such as maltitol, lacitol, and sorbitol, despite the name, aren't sugars or alcohols. They are hydrogenated starch molecules which are a byproduct of grain processing. These sugar alcohols are metabolized. Each gram of a sugar alcohol turns into anywhere from less than 1 to as much as 3 calories. Erythritol comes in lowest, delivering less than one calorie per gram. Maltitol--the sugar alcohol found in most "low carb" foods is the highest, delivering 3 calories per gram. That is only a bit less than the 4 calories you find in regular sugar and starch. Sugar alcohols, particularly Maltitol, the one that is most common in these products, cause a signifi- cant rise in blood sugar. Though many people tolerate them well, they can cause cramping, gas and diarrhea in others.

NATURAL SWEETENERS: HONEY, AGAVE NECTAR, FRUIT JUICES, ETC

Good alternatives to refined sugar and artificial sweeteners are honey, molasses, rice syrup, barley malt, fruit juices, and maple syrup. However, even these alternatives should be used sparingly, as they feed the taste for sweets and elevate blood glucose.