How Dangerous Is Sugar?

When we think of sugar we automatically associate it with fun times. From a young age we were subjected to sweet snacks such as ice cream, candy, and soft drinks. When our bubble gum lost its sweet flavor we threw it away and got a new piece. We’ve been programmed to reach for something sweet in times of stress and tension. The average person consumes almost 20 percent of the calories from refined white sugar.

Sugar consumption

That averages out to approximately 150 lbs of sugar consumption annually. I believe we may safely assume much of these 150 pounds are replacing more nutritious foods in our diets. And do not be so naive as to believe that cutting down, or even removing the white stuff will address the issue. That’s just the sugar you may see. There’s also the sugar that is a little harder to see. It’s still visible but it seems a bit different and replies to another name but it’s still damaging to your health. Aspartame, NutraSweet, and Equal are just some of the villains we will need to know. Aspartame is quite possibly the cause of Gulf War Syndrome.

Soft drinks sweetened with aspartame were sitting in the desert heat for months before our troops drank them. By that time the warmth had shifted Aspartame’s chemical structure and lots of our troops became ill when they drank the tainted sodas. A diet high in sugar increases your risk of disease because your immune system is compromised almost immediately after ingestion. This lowering of your immune system leaves you open to all types of ailments and infections. What weapons are available to those people searching for a healthy alternative to the detriments of sugar? Stevia is a natural sweetener called the sweet herb. It has no calories and is 25 times sweeter than refined sugar. Stevia helps regulate blood sugar and helps lower high blood pressure but doesn’t affect normal blood pressure. It can be bought online or at health food or nutritional supplement shops.

Final note

Honey is a natural sweetener produced by bees and has antibiotic and antiseptic properties. Additionally, it comprises the vitamins, enzymes, and minerals required for the proper digestion and metabolism of sugar and other sugar properties. Avoid honey, but if you suffer from diabetes or endometriosis. If you’re diabetic or hypoglycemic, attempt Xylitol. It’s a sweetener derived from plums, birch wood chips, corn, and berries and are just as sweet as table sugar but with fewer calories. So for those who have a sweet tooth, and that does not, do not despair. Mother Nature is here to help and keep you healthy.