What's all the hype about sugar? Why is it so bad for people?

What's all the hype about sugar? Why is it so bad for people?
Rachel Roberts Oppitz
NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE

Let's begin with a little sugar trivia:

A 20-ounce bottle of Coke contains 17 teaspoons of sugar.

In colonial times, the average amount of sugar consumed was four pounds per year. Cardiovascular disease and cancer were uncommon.

Currently, the average person eats 155 pounds of sugar a year, which is equivalent to more than half a cup per day. The average teen boy eats twice as much sugar than any other age or gender group. That puts him at over a cup of sugar a day.

Most children get on average 20 percent of their daily calories from sugar - that means 29 teaspoons of refined sugar daily.

Only one child in five consumes the recommended minimum of five fruits and vegetables a day, while the top 10 sources of carbohydrates in children's diets include soft drinks, cakes, cookies, jam, fruit drinks and fruit snacks.

Children who eat lots of sugar consume significantly lower amounts of protein, vitamin E, B vitamins, iron and zinc.

Most people are addicted to sugar, and along with grain addiction, the overconsumption of added sugars is one of the major health problems facing our nation today.

Although many people do not consider food a drug, sugar, white flour and refined carbohydrates are akin to drugs in that they are addictive substances with effects on brain neurotransmitters similar to those from alcohol. The taste for sweets leads to a craving for more sugar, just the way other drugs create cravings. Trying to go "cold turkey" from a diet with a heavy emphasis on these foods can result in withdrawal symptoms including strong cravings, fatigue, mood swings, irritability, depression, headaches and dizziness.

Sugar and refined carbohydrates are also intoxicating, causing the brain to increase its production of the chemicals dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. This process leads to a high, similar to that from alcohol and other drugs.

Sugar depletes the body of calcium, phosphorus, chromium, vitamin E, magnesium, B vitamins and potassium. Vitamins B1, B2, and B6 are needed to detoxify and metabolize sugar; our bodies particularly need vitamin B1 to metabolize sugar. Sugar also increases the magnesium and calcium excretion in our urine and decreases the overall absorption from our food (which predisposes to osteoporosis). Just two teaspoons of sugar causes the calcium level to rise in the bloodstream while the phosphorus level drops, forcing all the other minerals in the body to go out of balance as well. Sugar increases the loss of potassium because it causes the urine to become alkaline.

It is no secret that dental diseases such as periodontal (gum) disease and cavities are related to refined sugars. If you consume three sugar snacks per day, dental destruction exceeds dental and skeletal formation for up to six hours per day.

Learning disabilities and behavior problems are also associated with sugar intake due to allergy, yeast overgrowth, or low blood sugar reactions.

The digestive tract is often referred to as the "Root of the Tree" because the entire body is impacted by the health of the intestines and liver. Excesses of refined sugars contribute to dysbiosis, an abnormal ecology, favoring unfriendly bacteria and fungal overgrowth. This imbalance is the source of an entire array of symptomatology, including fatigue, depression, dermatitis and fibromyalgia.

Elevated blood sugar levels cause increased liver cell division and may lead to liver enlargement and excess fat deposition there. The heart and cardiovascular system are also vulnerable to sugar - excess sugar in the bloodstream stimulates the generation of free radicals; in blood vessels, free radical damage causes an accumulation of plaque that can lead to blocked arteries and cardiovascular disease. Increased refined carbohydrate intake also elevates insulin levels, which lead to inflammation and atherosclerosis/arteriosclerosis.

Type II diabetes and obesity are caused and exacerbated by overconsumption of refined carbohydrates. As sugar is stored in the form of fat tissue, resistance to insulin is exaggerated, and as fat cells manufacture additional estrogen, greater insulin resistance develops. Overweight people commonly find they can eat less and less and still gain weight.

Rachel Roberts Oppitz, ND, is a resident at Yellowstone Naturopathic Clinic. She completed pre-med at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. She received her doctorate of naturopathic medicine from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland.

Honey - Natural Treatment for Gum Disease | The Potential of Honey to Promote Oral Wellness