The Not-So-Hidden Affects of Refined Sugar

This is not intended to be judgemental in any way.  I still struggle with my addition to refined sugars.  This is a place to share facts about "REAL Food" versus fake food and/or poisonous additives.

What is Refined Sugar?

From Become Healthy Now, "The completely refined white sugar product is now over 99.9% sucrose and for all practical purposes contains no nutritional elements such as vitamins, minerals, proteins or fibers. This accounts for expressions such as "empty calories" and "junk food"

According to Family Education, "Every year the typical American consumes between 120 and 150 pounds of refined sugar. ² That translates to over one-third of a pound a day, 600-plus calories of teeth-rotting, health-destroying sweetness."

Keep in mind that I'm not referring to ALL sugars.  This does not include honey or the natural sugar in fruits.  This article only pertains to "Refined Sugar."

From Global Healing Center, "Dr. Martin classified refined sugar as a poison because it has been depleted of its life forces, vitamins and minerals. "What is left consists of pure, refined carbohydrates. The body cannot utilize this refined starch and carbohydrate unless the depleted proteins, vitamins and minerals are present. Nature supplies these elements in each plant in quantities sufficient to metabolize the carbohydrate in that particular plant. There is no excess for other added carbohydrates. Incomplete carbohydrate metabolism results in the formation of 'toxic metabolite' such as pyruvic acid and abnormal sugars containing five carbon atoms. Pyruvic acid accumulates in the brain and nervous system and the abnormal sugars in the red blood cells. These toxic metabolites interfere with the respiration of the cells. They cannot get sufficient oxygen to survive and function normally. In time, some of the cells die. This interferes with the function of a part of the body and is the beginning of degenerative disease."2"

Where do you find Refined Sugar?

From barbeque sauce to worsteshire...from deli meats to pretzels...refined sugar is every where.  The obvious offenders are sodas, candies, ice cream and cakes.  Did you know that most store-bought breads contain refined sugar?  Yogurt is another repeat offender loaded with sugar.

According to Mercola.com "And now most infant formula has the sugar equivalent of one can of Coca-Cola, so babies are being metabolically poisoned from day one of taking formula.
No wonder there is an obesity epidemic in this country."

How does Refined Sugar Affect the Body?

You don't have to be a doctor or scientist to see the obesity epidemic in this country. In the US alone, 34% of adults are obese (not just overweight).  Carrying excess weight increases your risk for deadly conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes.
In 1893, there were fewer than three cases of diabetes per 100,000 people in the United States. Today, diabetes strikes almost 8,000 out of every 100,000 people.¹

Gaby Taubes, in a NY Times article Is Sugar Toxic?, wrote about  a lecture from Robert Lustig "Sugar: the Bitter Truth."  You can find the video on YouTube.  Gaby writes, "If Lustig is right, then our excessive consumption of sugar is the primary reason that the numbers of obese and diabetic Americans have skyrocketed in the past 30 years. But his argument implies more than that. If Lustig is right, it would mean that sugar is also the likely dietary cause of several other chronic ailments widely considered to be diseases of Western lifestyles — heart disease, hypertension and many common cancers among them."

So far we have Cancer, Hypertension, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Toxicity and Obesity.  I haven't even begun to research the effects of Refined Sugars and Children.    It drives me absolutely crazy when I hear parents talk about their ADD kids and at the same time give them SODA to wash down their ADD medicine.  Sugar cereal anyone...Ya, I'd like a little red #5, blue #3 with my High Fructose Corn Syrup thank you very much.

All kidding asside, refined sugars are killing us and killing our families.  Have you lost a loved one to diabetes?  Do you struggle with addiction or obesity?  There is way out.  At least, there is hope if you are willing to try.

I recommend the following books:








There is no "magical cure" or "perfect pill" but Where there is a Will, There is a Way.  I'd love to hear from you!