Harmful and Healthy Sugars - Part 1

God gave every one of us a sweet tooth - we all crave sweets, and there is absolutely nothing harmful about that. How we choose to satisfy that sweet tooth determines whether it becomes detrimental to our health, or actually beneficial.

Let's talk about some of the the harmful sugars first.

Most people know by now that white sugar is bad for you. Refined sugar comes in the forms of sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn sugar), and high-fructose corn syrup. Even honey is a refined sugar, as well as molasses, brown sugar, and raw (turbenado) sugar.

It depresses the immune system, making us more susceptible to disease. The immune system is our body's first line of defense against disease.

• It harms our endocrine system
• It upsets the body's mineral balance
• It leads to chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypoglycemia, arthritis, osteoperosis, allergies, and cardiovascular
• It contributes to hyperactivity, anxiety, mood swings, depression
• It can cause kidney damage
• It can cause headaches
• It contributes to weight gain and obesity
• It leads to decreased glucose tolerance
• It can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and gray hair

At the turn of the 20th century, the intake of refined sugar per person per year was about 5 pounds. A hundred years later the figure has skyrocketed to 170 pounds! Think about it - that comes to over 50 teaspoons per day!!

That figure might seem impossible until you realize that sugar is in practically every processed food that you purchase. A 12 ounce can of soda contains about 11 teaspoons of sugar.

Ice cream is 37% sugar, and many breakfast cereals contain over 50% sugar.

There are absolutely zero nutrients in sugar, and zero fiber. Of course sugar substitutes are just as deadly, but that's for another article.

Tomorrow we'll talk about how to satisfy a sweet tooth in a healthy, and guilt-free way!

Phyllis Towse