How Do Sugar & Sweeteners Affect Us?

Sugar consumption is out of control. According to the US government, the average American consumes half a cup of caloric sweeteners per day, or 152 pounds per year. (1)

Sugar has a reputation as the “white poison” because of the harmful effects it has on health. Although fat has been made out to be the cause of many diseases or problems, sugar is one of the most harmful ingredients in our diet.

Sugar is present in almost all processed foods, fast foods, and dairy products, but it can be hiding in many products you would not normally expect. I even see it added to dried fruits, trail mixes, and granolas in healthy grocery stores. When food companies started making low-fat products, many added additional sugar to help the food taste more appealing. Studies conducted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that diabetes and obesity are directly linked to eating refined sugar and high-fructose corn syrup—the cheapest form of sugar and the choice of many food manufacturing companies. (2)

Along with diabetes and obesity, sugar intake can contribute to hypoglycemia, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, tooth decay, systemic infections, memory disorders, allergies, upset hormonal imbalances, and autoimmune and immune deficiency disorders. It supports the growth of cancer cells. The list of health problems goes on to include acne, adrenal gland exhaustion, anxiety, bloating, bone loss, eczema, cataracts, candidiasis, insomnia, ulcers, psoriasis, over-acidity, gout, gallstones, fatigue, menstrual difficulties, indigestion, high triglyceride levels, and more. These are all good reasons to limit the amount of sugar in one’s diet.

Digestion breaks down the food we eat into components the body can absorb, including glucose which powers every cell in the body. After glucose enters the bloodstream, the pancreas secretes insulin, which enables glucose to enter cells and be used for fuel. When glucose gets into the blood stream too quickly, the blood sugar level spikes, putting pressure on the pancreas to make more of the hormone insulin to regulate the blood sugar level. Insulin is vital to maintaining healthy glucose levels in blood.

White refined sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and fructose are very hard on the body and the digestive system. These sugars are read by the body as empty sugar. When the body consumes nutrient-empty sugar, it has to pull stored nutrients out of the body to process it. This depletes the body of stored nutrients and can result in extreme cravings for nutrients. That is why feeding the body empty calories of refined carbohydrates, such as white sugar, can result in hunger pangs.

Many people today who have extreme obesity or weight problems are actually starving to death. Their bodies are not getting the nutrients they need. They may feel like they are very hungry and, as a result, eat more of the same nutrient-empty food. This will overwork the pancreas and can result in the body having an increasingly difficult time creating insulin to restore normal, healthy glucose levels. The constant roller coaster of blood sugar spiking can wear out the pancreas, which may then create less insulin or none at all.

Also, an excess of glucose in the system can be stored in the liver as glycogen. When the liver can’t hold any more, it will return it to the blood stream as fatty acids. This can create insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes. A diet of too much empty sugar on a continual basis can result in disease and obesity.

Sugar can affect our mental health, too. A study conducted by British psychiatric researcher Malcolm Peet showed that a diet high in sugar is strongly linked to depression and schizophrenia because it suppresses a key growth hormone in the brain called BDNF. (3) This hormone plays a vital role in memory function.

Sugar is like an addictive drug. It can give the body an artificial energy surge, and the body can begin to crave that energy. Dr. Francis Stern states, “A characteristic of sugar ‘binges’ is that the taste for sweets, for some reason, leads to a craving for more of the same, just the way other drugs create cravings.” (4) The FDA Consumer magazine reported in February 1988, “Drugs upset the body’s homeostasis (balance) mechanism so completely that, in a struggle to get back to normal, the addict can only take another dose of the same drug. Heroin, cigarettes, coffee, sugar—it’s the same kind of addiction.” (5) Stimulants like caffeine or alcohol can cause sugar cravings.

Today, large amounts of sugar are added to almost all packaged foods, including canned foods, jams, jellies, dry cereals, baked goods, breading, and dairy products. It is a hidden ingredient in many foods. In addition to the obvious reason— that it makes the food taste sweeter—sugar is also added to processed foods because it helps reduce shrinkage, keeps their texture smoother, and helps keep them from drying out.

Here are just a few examples of foods in which you will find added sugar: seafood breading, canned salmon, hamburgers in restaurants, processed lunch meats, bouillon cubes, dry-roasted nuts, peanut butter, canned tomatoes, and canned vegetables. Although they aren’t a dessert, even Nabisco Ritz Crackers contain six percent sucrose because “sugar is unmatched when it comes to making products tender and appetizing,” according to the International Sugar Research Foundation (ISRF). (6) Read ingredient lists or simply make your own food. Then you will know exactly what is in it.

It is very important to eat whole, unrefined foods that contain little or no white, refined, processed sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fructose, agave nectar, dextrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, barley malt, or sorbitol. Sugars are not all created equally, and some are far worse than others.

I recommend avoiding fake sugars and sugar substitutes altogether. Chemically-derived sweeteners can have many harmful effects on health. Artificial sweeteners are never a healthy sugar alternative. All artificial chemical sweeteners are toxic and can indirectly lead to weight gain. They are addictive and amplify the craving for sugar, which is the opposite reason why many people consume them. In fact, given a choice between high-fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup is recommended by far—though it’s essentially asking if you should consume poison or worse poison. (7)

Try to stay with real, whole, unrefined, and unprocessed sugars as much as possible. Read ingredient labels carefully, and check for any sugar or sugar substitute. Be knowledgeable about what you are eating.

Here are a few types of sweeteners that are alternatives to white refined sugar. Some are good, and some aren’t so good.
Become sugar savvy!

Agave syrup is frequently used in many vegan foods because, unlike honey, it is not taken from an animal. Agave actually has more calories than table sugar (20 calories per teaspoon compared to 16 calories per teaspoon). Agave is 90 percent fructose, which is actually more fructose than high-fructose corn syrup contains. In fact, agave syrup is made very much like high-fructose corn syrup.

Agave is marketed as “diabetic friendly,” because it doesn’t have as much glucose in it as other sweeteners. However, some studies suggest that large amounts of fructose can promote insulin resistance, and thus increase diabetes risk, boost triglycerides (fats in the blood), lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and have other harmful effects on the heart, and possibly the liver, too. “The American Diabetes Association lists agave as a sweetener to limit, along with regular table sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and all other sugars.” (8)

You may think, “But fructose is in fruit.” However whole fruit contains added nutrients, fiber, and natural electrolytes, and affects the body in a different way than refined agave syrup does. A recent study showed agave has “minimal antioxidant activity.” It is “just another form of processed (and concentrated) sugar,” according to Berkeley Wellness Alerts. (9)

Aspartame is the chemical in the artificial sweeteners NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure, and it is found in more than 6000 products. It is composed of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. It gets converted to formaldehyde in the body. According to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), formaldehyde is a carcinogen that can seriously harm your “liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, brain, and central nervous systems. The occupational health hazards of formaldehyde are primarily due to its toxic effects after inhalation, after direct contact with the skin or eyes in liquid or vapor form, and after ingestion.”(10)

Formaldehyde can also cause allergic sensitization.

Aspartame can cause many problems, including neurological ones. According to one study: When the temperature of aspartame exceeds 86°F, the wood alcohol in aspartame converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. The methanol toxicity mimics multiple sclerosis; thus, people may be misdiagnosed with having multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis does not lead to death, whereas methanol toxicity does. (11)

According to a report from the National Institutes of Health: Methanol is extremely poisonous. As little as two tablespoons can be deadly to a child. About 2–8 ounces can be deadly for an adult. Blindness is common and often permanent, despite medical care. How well the person recovers depends on how much poison is swallowed and how soon treatment is received. (12)

Mark Gold of the Aspartame Toxicity Information Center writes: Both the US Air Force’s magazine Flying Safety and the US Navy’s magazine Navy Physiology published articles warning about the many dangers of aspartame. They included the cumulative, deleterious effects of methanol, and the greater likelihood of birth defects. The articles note that the ingestion of aspartame may make pilots more susceptible to seizures and vertigo (US Air Force 1992). Countless other toxicity effects have been reported to the FDA (DHHS 1995), other independent organizations (Mission Possible 1996, Stoddard 1995), and independent scientists (e.g., 80 cases of seizures were reported to Dr. Richard Wurtman, Food in 1986).

Frequently, aspartame toxicity is misdiagnosed as a specific disease. This hasn’t been reported in scientific literature, yet it has been reported countless times to independent organizations and scientists. In other cases, it has been reported that chronic aspartame ingestion has triggered or worsened certain chronic illnesses. Nearly 100 percent of the time, the patient and physician assume these worsening conditions are a normal progression of the illness. Sometimes that may be true, but many times it is chronic aspartame poisoning. (13)

The following is a list of chronic illnesses that may be caused or worsened by the long-term ingestion of aspartame, according to researchers studying its adverse effects. In some cases, such as MS, the symptoms mimic or worsen the disease, but do not cause it.

This list shouldn’t be considered definitive, because regular intake of a poison is bad for any chronic illness.

Brain Tumors

Multiple Sclerosis

Epilepsy

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Parkinson’s Disease

Alzheimer’s

Mental Retardation

Lymphoma

Birth Defects

Fibromyalgia

Diabetes

Arthritis (including rheumatoid)

Chemical Sensitivities

Attention Deficit Disorder (14)

Some examples of healthier alternatives to sugar, agave, and artificial sugars are listed below.

Blackstrap molasses is the residue of beet juice or sugar cane after the sugar crystals have been removed. Blackstrap molasses contains minerals, including iron, calcium, and magnesium, even though it is still about 65 percent sucrose. Buy organic varieties.

Coconut sugar is made from boiling down the nectar of tropical coconut palm sugar blossoms. This sugar has a naturally low glycemic index. It has been used in East Asia for herbal medicine and food preparation. The glycemic index is approximately 35. It is high in potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and B vitamins. Buy organic, unprocessed, unbleached, and unfiltered coconut sugar with no preservatives added.

Date sugar is derived from dried dates. This type of sugar has some fiber and is rich in minerals, since it is essentially dried fruit. It is a nice alternative to other sugars.

Honey is a natural sweetener that is antifungal and antibacterial. Honey can be used as a natural antiseptic. It is a natural remedy for many ailments, and it can boost energy. Weekly World News listed arthritis, hair loss, bladder infections, upset stomach, indigestion, influenza, heart disease, colds, and cholesterol as some of the afflictions that could be cured by honey and cinnamon. (15) Honey contains a variety of nutrients and minerals, as well as some enzymes. It is known to help the facilitation of muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout.

PLEASE NOTE

According to Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS:

Never give an infant under eighteen months of age honey or products made with honey. This sweetener sometimes contains trace amounts of botulinum spores, which are easily denatured by the mature digestive tract of an adult, but can be harmful or even fatal to an infant, whose digestive tract is just developing. (16)

If you are concerned about the welfare of bees, then find a responsible beekeeper who doesn’t take all of the bees’ winter honey stores, but leaves them with enough to support their hive. Such responsible beekeepers are around. We want to be conscious consumers when it comes to supporting our web of life.

Honey can be substituted for sugar in recipes. Always buy raw, unrefined honey because it will have all of the live enzymes and nutritional properties still intact.

Maple syrup is a natural sugar derived from maple tree sap. It contains minerals including potassium and calcium.

Sucanat is dehydrated sugar cane juice. It has some nutrients. Sucanat is an easy alternative to white refined sugar and is a small step in the direction of a healthier alternative to it.

Stevia is a sweetener derived from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, a South American plant that is a member of the aster family. Japanese food manufacturers developed this sweetener in the 1970s as a zero-calorie sugar. The Japanese have done extensive research on stevia and found it extremely safe.

Even though it has been found safe and approved by the FDA, there has been controversy about the safety of this sweetener. (17) For one, it could possibly cause hypoglycemia for some people depending on the amount and frequency ingested. The body is very sensitive to blood sugar regulation. When stevia is ingested, the body thinks it is receiving sugar. So, it prepares itself by clearing glucose from the bloodstream. Because of this, the blood sugar drops. When no sugar appears, the adrenaline and cortisol can surge to mobilize sugar from other sources, like the liver and body tissue. This brings blood glucose back up. This causes stress to the body.

The stevia plant has been commonly used in Paraguay to treat diabetes, and by indigenous populations for the control of fertility. You might want to keep this in mind if you are trying to get pregnant. Some researchers have expressed concern that stevia might have an antifertility effect in men or women. However, evidence from most (though not all) animal studies suggests that this is not a concern at normal doses. That being said, steviol glycosides are the natural chemicals that give stevia a sweet taste. Steviol glycosides are structurally similar to the plant hormones gibberellin and kaurene, which means that stevia has a hormone structure. Anyone with a problem with hormone balance or a dysfunctional immune system should be aware of the possible effect of stevia on hormones.

Stevia comes in powder and liquid form. I have been using this sweetener for years. I like the liquid form best because I think it has a better flavor, while the powder form can be a bit bitter.

Make sure to read the ingredient label. Companies use different ingredients to preserve stevia or prepare it to be packaged. One company, for example, uses grapefruit seed extract, which can interact very badly with some medications. Be aware of this and read all of the ingredients carefully before using.

The WebMD website includes this information for drug interactions:

Medications for diabetes (antidiabetic drugs) interact with stevia. Stevia might decrease blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking stevia along with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.

Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.

Medications for high blood pressure (Antihypertensive drugs) interact with stevia. Stevia might decrease blood pressure in some people. Taking stevia along with medications used for lowering high blood pressure might cause your blood pressure to go too low. However, it’s not known if this is a big concern. Do not take too much stevia if you are taking medications for high blood pressure.

Some medications for high blood pressure include captopril (Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan), diltiazem (Cardizem), amlodipine (Norvasc), hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDIURIL), furosemide (Lasix), and many others. (18)

From what I gather, this plant can help people who are trying to lower their blood pressure or blood sugar levels naturally. If you have concerns, talk to your physician.

Xylitol: One sugar I’ve used over the years is xylitol, especially if a recipe calls for granulated sugar. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol naturally found in fruits and vegetables. It’s usually made from birch tree bark and other hardwood trees. Some sources say xylitol was discovered by German scientist Emil Fisher in 1891.

When Finland had severe sugar shortages during World War II, people started making it commercially. After the war, Finnish dentists noticed that schoolchildren had unusually strong, cavity- free teeth. This discovery led the Finnish government to be the first to officially endorse the use of xylitol as a sweetener.

By the 1960s, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, and the Soviet Union were using xylitol as their preferred sweetener for diabetics. It was also used as an energy source for infusion therapy with patients who have impaired glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.

Xylitol is considered a five-carbon sugar, which means it has antimicrobial effects, preventing the growth of bacteria. It is also alkaline-enhancing and can replace sugar in recipes in equal substitution. Xylitol tastes and looks just like sugar with no bitter aftertaste.

Drug interactions have not been found. The only side effect is that when consumed in large doses over 30 or 40 grams at one time, it can cause gas and diarrhea. Some types of xylitol have a little bigger granule size than refined sugar. When purchasing xylitol, the smaller, finer grain variety will bake easier.

Xylitol and stevia are both sweeteners that can be used in diabetic diets. In addition to helping prevent cavities, xylitol can help repair dental enamel, regulate blood sugar for those with type 2 diabetes, strengthen bones, decrease age-related bone loss, inhibit serious systemic yeast problems, inhibit the growth of bacteria that cause middle ear infections in young children, inhibit the growth of streptococcus pneumonia, and alleviate dry mouth. It even inhibits inner ear and other infections. Mothers love that!

In addition, xylitol has 40 percent fewer calories and 75 percent fewer carbohydrates than sugar. It’s slowly absorbed and metabolized, which results in negligible changes in insulin. Its consumption can reduce sugar cravings and insulin levels, and help alkalize your body. It was approved by the FDA in 1963. (19)

One important thing to know: Xylitol is not for pets.

Animals’ systems are different from ours. Like chocolate, egg whites, onions scallions, shallots, garlic, avocado, raisins, cacao, walnuts, macadamia nuts, and red grapes, xylitol is very toxic to dogs. Please keep xylitol, and anything you use it in, away from your pet.

Purchase xylitol from US sources that use non-GMO ingredients. Here is a list of recommended brands:

1. Smart Sweet Xylitol. Source: Organic birch and occasionally beech trees (non-GMO). Country of origin: US and occasionally Austria in cases of limited supply. Full ingredients: Xylitol.

2. Source Naturals Xylismart. Source: Birch (non- GMO). Country of origin: US. (They told me it is “currently sourced” from the US.) Full ingredients: Xylitol.

3. Health Garden Kosher Real Birch Xylitol. Source: Birch (non-GMO). Country of origin: US. Full ingredients: Xylitol.

4. Swanson Premium 100% Pure Xylitol Powder. Source: Birch (non-GMO). Country of origin: US. Full ingredients: Xylitol.

5. Xyla Xylitol Powder. Source: Birch (non-GMO). Country of origin: US. Full ingredients: Xylitol.

Avoid the following brands due to their GMO sources:

1. Jarrow Formulas XyliPure Xylitol Powder. Source: Corn (non-GMO). Country of origin: China. Full

ingredients: Xylitol, silicon dioxide.

2. KAL Xylitol. Source: Corn (could be GMO). Country

of origin: China.

3. Xlear XyloSweet All Natural Xylitol Sweetener.

Source: Both birch and corn (could be GMO). Country of origin: China and US.

In conclusion, choose your healthiest sweeteners possible for optimum health.

Sources

1. PRWeb. (2014, July 23). “Teraganix Opens New Arizona-based Agricultural Products Supply Facility.” Retrieved from http://www.prweb.com/releases/TeraGanix/new- production-facility/prweb12034078.htm
2. Fulgoni, V, 3rd. (2008, December). High-fructose corn syrup: everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 88(6), 1715S. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19064535
3. Ilardi, Stephen. (2009, July 23). “Dietary Sugar and Mental Illness: A Surprising Link.” In The Depression Cure. Psychology Today. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-depression- cure/200907/dietary-sugar-and-mental-illness- surprising-link
4. Goulart, Frances Sheridan. (1991, March 1). “Are You Sugar Smart? Linked to Heart Attacks, Kidney Disease, Diabetes and Other Diseases, Sugar Is to the ’90s What Cholesterol Was to the ’80s (Includes 9 ways to Cope with Sugar Cravings).” American Fitness. Retrieved from http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-10722552.html
5. Ibid.
   6. Ibid.
   7. Edwards, Michael. (2007, June 12). “Healthy Sugar Alternatives: Understanding Both Healthy & Not So Healthy Sugars with Their Glycemic Index and Load.” Organic Lifestyle Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com/blog/healthy- sugar-alternatives.php  This is a good source for the glycemic index of various sugars.
   8.  Horton, Jenn. (Reviewed by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD,  LD on July 22, 2014). “The Truth about Agave.” WebMD.  Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/diet/the-truth- about-agave
   9.  Berkeley Wellness Alerts. (2010, December 17). “Not Such Sweet News about Agave.”
   10.  Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).Regulations (Standards – 29 CFR). Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_docu ment?p_table=standards&p_id=10078
   11. Tandel, Kirtidia R. (2011, October-December). Sugar substitutes: Health controversy over perceived benefits. Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics, 2(4), 236-243.
   12.  MedlinePlus. “Methanol Poisoning.” Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/0026 80.htm
   13.. Gold, Mark. (January, 2003). Recall aspartame as a neurotoxic drug: file #4: reported aspartame toxicity reactions. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/03/jan03/0122 03/02p-0317_emc-000199.txt
   14. Ibid.
   15. Weekly World News. (1995, January 17). “Cinnamon and  Honey.”
   16.  Gittleman, Ann Louise. (1996). Get the Sugar Out, p. 15. New York: Three Rivers Press.
   17..  Various sources regarding the controversial nature of  Stevia: Joan Salge Blake, MS, RDN, LDN, Clinical Associate Professor, Boston University Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, American Diabetes Association: “Low-Calorie Sweeteners,” “Size Up Your Sweetener Options.”; New York University Langone Medical Center: “Stevia”; Center for Science in the Public Interest: “Stevia”; U.S. Food and Drug Administration: “Is Stevia an FDA- Approved Sweetener?”; U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Agency Response Letter GRAS Notice No. GRN 000348;  United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Library: “Nutritive and Non-Nutritive Sweeteners”; International Food Information Council: “Stevia Sweeteners: Another Low-Calorie Option”; University of Nebraska, Lincoln: “Stevia.”; Department of Environmental Sciences and Molecular Toxicology, UCLA School of Public Health: “Toxicology of Rebaudioside A: A Review by Sarah Kobylewski and D. Eckhert” http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/stevia- report_final-8-14-08.pdf;  Melis, M.S. (November, 1999). Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 67(2):157–161, “Effects of chronic administration of Stevia rebaudiana on fertility in rats.” http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378 874199000811; Mazzei, Planas G. and Kuć, J. (1968, November 29). “Contraceptive properties of Stevia rebaudiana.” Science, 162(3857):1007.
   18. Smith, Michael W. (2014, October 13). “What is Stevia?” WebMD. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/food- recipes/what-is-stevia
   19. Gare, Fran. (2003). The Sweet Miracle of Xylitol. Basic Health Publications, Inc.

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