Killing Effect While the negative effects of excess sug- ar consumption have been documented for decades, “Evidence is mounting that sugar is the primary cause of obesity, plus many chronic and lethal diseases,” says Osteopathic Physician Joseph Mer- cola, of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, who runs the highly popular natural health website,
Mercola.com, and has authored books that include The No-Grain Diet and Sweet Deception. “Excessive fructose consumption leads to insulin resistance that appears to be the root of many, if not most, chronic diseases,” says Mercola. Beyond the obvious association with obesity, hyper- tension, Type 2 diabetes, liver and heart disease and Alzheimer’s have all been linked to sugar, according to the Nation- al Center for Biotechnology Information at the National Institutes of Health. “Sugar, in excess, is a toxin, un- related to its calories,” says Dr. Robert Lustig, an endocrinologist and professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. “The dose determines the poison. Like alcohol, a little sugar is fine, but a lot is not. And the food industry has put us way over our limit.” Sugar can be addictive, con- tinues Lustig. “It has clear potential for abuse. Like tobacco and alcohol, sugar acts on the brain to encourage subse- quent intake.”
Risky Substitutes No-calorie artificial sweeteners can be equally dangerous by convincing us we are bypassing calories. The 5,000-par- ticipant San Antonio Heart Study, which followed subjects for seven to eight years, showed that adults consuming regular or diet soft drinks were likely to gain weight, but those that drank the diet versions were more likely to become obese. Participants in Massachusetts’ Framingham Heart Study further con- firmed that soft drink lovers in general were 40 percent more likely than non soda-drinkers to develop metabolic syndrome, increasing the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Studies from Washington Univer-
sity School of Medicine, in St. Louis, Missouri; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; and Gunma University, in Maebashi, Japan,
natural awakenings September 2013 43
suggest that sucralose (marketed primar- ily under the brand name Splenda) can trigger the release of insulin as though sugar has been consumed; over time, this contributes to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.
Aspartame and saccharin have also been associated with weight gain and suppressed satiety (fullness) response,
effecting overeating and possibly even cancer. Such effects are supported by studies from at least seven countries, published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Finally, xylitol, another low-calorie sweetener that some claim to be natural, is actu- ally highly processed and even a small amount can cause diarrhea.
Everyday Sugar Addicts by Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum
A solution to sugar addiction is simply to stop eating sugars, especially any form of corn syrup. Drink more water and take a high-quality multivitamin, plus other supplements as necessary. Here are the four characteristics of people that tend to obsessively seek sugar.
4 Chronically exhausted and looking for an energy boost 4 Stressed out and suffering from adrenal exhaustion 4 Cravings caused by excessive presence of yeast/candida 4 Hormonally related cravings
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