We all know that refined sugar is the leading cause of tooth decay and diabetes, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Few realise that sugar also weakens our bones, ages our skin, damages our liver and all of our other organs, and wreaks havoc with every system of the body – most notably the nervous, digestive, endocrine, circulatory and immune systems.
What is even less widely understood is that it can cause anxiety, depression, brain fog, mood swings and, in those especially sensitive to its effects, even a state of intoxication, erratic behaviour and/or violent outbursts.
And just like any other addictive drug (make no mistake – that’s what sugar is), if taken regularly, in sufficient quantity and long term, its effects on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health are eventually devastating.
Until very recently in our evolutionary history, refined sugar, also known as sucrose, simply did not exist.
So what, exactly, is this manufactured substance that humanity is consuming in such quantity?
Refined sugar is produced by taking a natural food which contains a high percentage of sugar – usually sugar cane or sugar beets – and then removing all other elements of that food until only the sugar remains.
The mechanical and chemical processing refined sugar undergoes strips out all nutrients, including amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.
Sugar cane has a sugar content of 10 to 15 per cent and also contains abundant water, fibre, enzymes and nutrients. Refined sugar? 99.5 per cent sucrose and 0.5 per cent water.
But refined sugar does worse than contribute no nutrients since the effect of consuming it is actually a net nutrient loss, as is the case for all ‘empty’ foods: the body can’t digest them and eliminate the wastes without pulling precious vitamins and minerals from its stores.
Also, sugar is highly acidic in the system and the correct acid/alkaline balance of our blood is so crucial that the body will take extreme measures to maintain it, even drawing the alkaline mineral calcium from the bones and teeth to restore it if necessary – with predictable effects, over time, on the health and strength of both.
Sugar also makes the blood very thick and sticky, inhibiting blood flow into the minute capillaries that supply our cells with vital nutrients, which itself affects the health of bones and teeth, as well as of the circulatory system and the brain.
All that said, believe me, I understand how hard it is to give up.
Below is some more information that might help make that easier.
You might also want to check out my longer article on sugar, The deadly drug in your kitchen.
Read my longer article on sugar, The deadly drug in your kitchen.
