Sugar harms your health in many ways. Most people know this, yet few control the intake of it. Worse yet, they are given to children in greater and greater quantities. An example is soda pop: more than a quarter of all drinks consumed in the United States are soda. More than 15 billion gallons were sold in 2000 and that number is rising every year. That means every man, woman and child consumes at least one 12-ounce can per day. Obviously not everyone consumes sodas – many people drink more than their share!
In one study it was found that 56% of 8 year olds consume sodas daily and at least 30% of teenage boys drink greater than 3 cans per day. Sixty percent of all public and private high schools and middle schools have vending machines or otherwise sell sodas to the kids. Carbonated soda pop provides more added sugar in the diet than cookies, candies and ice cream combined. This has resulted in an increase in obesity, tooth decay, weakened bones and caffeine dependence in our children. For every daily serving of soda consumed the risk of obesity increases 1.6 times. Researchers found that kids that drink sodas consume almost 200 more calories per day than kids who do not. Sugar and corn syrup from soft drinks, juices and the copious teas and sports drinks now supply more than 10 percent of our total calories.
We have turned into a nation that has replaced real foods (such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and meats) with carbohydrates that are refined and treated by the body no differently than eating a cookie. Fat, fiber and protein slow the rate carbohydrates enter the blood stream. This prevents a sudden rise in insulin levels, with a subsequent drop thereafter. Refined carbohydrates (also known as “white trash”) such as cereals, pasta, potatoes, white rice, breads and other refined grains contain virtually no nutrients. We are feeding our bodies empty calories, and then wonder why we have so many diseases!
Grain consumption, especially refined grains, has increased almost 60 pounds per person, and caloric sweeteners (primarily high-fructose corn syrup) by 30 pounds. We consume more total calories (up to 400 more) each day since the government started recommending low-fat diets. Most people don’t realize that “low fat” foods contain more sugar, and “diet” foods contain either high fat or artificial sweeteners.
Sugar harms the body in many ways: it suppresses the immune system immediately and takes 3 days to recover. It can cause a rapid rise in adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating and crankiness in children. It weakens eyesight, contributes to gallstones and appendicitis, and suppresses calcium absorption in the bones (in fact, soda is now considered the number one contributor to osteoporosis). Sugar can cause many problems with digestion, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and many other bowel diseases. It interferes with protein absorption, impairs DNA structure, makes your skin age more quickly, reduces learning capacity, increases hormonal imbalance, weakens the adrenal glands (which makes you fatigued), increases emotional instability, causes high blood pressure in obese individuals, induces cell death, feeds cancer cells, contributes to PMS, causes a rise in cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood…..and the list goes on. This is in addition to the already recognizable causes such as obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.
All of this is accentuated if your body does not handle blood sugar well. Blood sugar is managed primarily by the liver, adrenals and pancreas. A weakness in one of those glands results in a weakness in how the body responds to sugar. The more sugar consumed, the worse the condition. Diabetes and hypoglycemia are at an all time high.
Eating foods rich in minerals (such as spinach, beet greens, collards, swiss chard, kale, and broccoli) assist the organs in managing blood sugar. They also help to control sugar cravings. Much of the time, the use of “green” mineral supplements is also needed. Greens such as kelp, alfalfa, spirulina and others, tableted, are good sources of complex minerals. Digestion also plays an important role.
Sugar cravings for many people make it difficult to stop drinking or eating sugar. It’s a sign of other imbalances in the body and can be treated through acupuncture, nutrition, or both. Since sugar causes many problems in the body, it would be wise to reduce the intake of sugary foods. If this is difficult, get help from a professional trained to support you in this area.
©2005 Holly A. Carling, O.M.D., L.Ac., Ph.D.
