The Dangers of Sugar

Many uninformed individuals say that consuming sugar is fine, because the body converts all foods to glucose, anyway, be they meats, vegetables, fruits, pancakes, and what not.

What these individuals fail to realize is this: fruits, meats, vegetables, and other natural foods, contain vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fiber, and more, that help with the handling of the glucose the body makes from them. For these reasons, when you ingest refined sugars, you are ingesting sugar that will not only be converted into glucose in the body--but also sugar that will be managed with very poorly on a cellular level.

During a clinical study, it was found that ingesting 100 grams of a simple, refined sugar greatly suppressed immune capability for up to 5 hours. The immune system was suppressed but about 50 percent, and this effect began within 10 minutes of original consumption.

With a lowered immune capability follows problems handling diseases and a much higher possibility of you getting sick.

In another study, it was found that 24 fluid ounces of a soda would inhibit activity of neutrophils, a kind of white blood cell. The reduction lasted for 5 hours.

A study in 1991 by T.W. Jones found that sugar increased the activity of the adrenal glands, forcing them to secrete more adrenaline into the body. This effect was especially pronounced in children.

When there is a large intake of sugar, the pancreas is constantly producing insulin. Over time, the pancreas can wear out and the body is no longer able to deal with glucose. Or, alternatively, if the pancreas does not wear out, the cells in the body could become resistant or insensitive to insulin. Both of these scenarios result in insulin.

Furthermore, it has been shown that refined sugars increase the acidity of the saliva. This means that no matter how much you brush your teeth, you will develop cavities. Saliva with lowered pH may help with the digestion of food, but this does not make it advantageous--far from it.

Refined sugars also cause the body to release more of the nutrients and vitamins it already has via urination. It also increases the frequency of urination.

An alternative to sugar is stevia, an herb that is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, and is all-natural. It has been around for hundreds of years in Brazil. It has not been shown to be carcinogenic.

Do yourself and your family a favor--cut out as much sugar as you can from your diet, and encourage everyone to do the same. Explain to them why.