The harms of eating too much sugar

 I’d like to commend Rochelle Rothman for highlighting the harms of eating too much sugar.

 While mentioning weight gain, mood swings/irritability, fatigue/ low energy, cravings, high blood pressure, acne/premature wrinkling, joint pain, sleep troubles, digestive problems, brain fog and gum disease and cavities, there are several more health issues strongly associated with sugar consumption.

 1. 100 grams (3 oz.) reduces immune response by 50% for up to six hours, increasing the incidence of autoimmune diseases and cancer. It promotes tumor cell growth; cancer cells actually feed on sugar! 

2. Excess sugar is stored as fat, which often gets deposited in the abdominal area. That’s an indicator of insulin resistance, which leads to elevated blood sugar, high blood pressure, and increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

 3. Also increased is the risk of stroke, aneurysm, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, thyroid issues, and more, including male hair loss. 

4. Mental health patients consumed 200% more sugar than others, studies show. When sugar was removed from prison diets, there was a 90% reduction in prisoner violence. Keep that in mind if you’d like to see your kids fighting less (or focusing better.

5. Sugar causes cellular aging, which leads to shorter lifespans. DNA repair is turned off, leading to inflammation, which is at the root of all chronic disease and aging.

 6. Alzheimer’s is sometimes called Type III diabetes; brain cells become insulin resistant and are starved of energy. Many such patients have seen remarkable improvement and even reversal of their conditions with a keto-type diet.

 7. Excess sugar disrupts cells that keep the colon and gut healthy, which is crucial for the optimal health of body and mind and disease prevention.

The new and much improved food pyramid recommends no added sugar for good reason. According to researchers, sugar is a toxin; no studies have ever shown any benefit whatsoever from consuming it.

 Artificial sweeteners are not the answer; they come with their own set of health risks, and in any case will not help with weight loss. 

What is very concerning is that sugar is highly addictive, and we are giving our children a lot of it – in school and elsewhere. Sugary and highly processed foods make up 80 to 90% of our kids’ (and sometimes even our) diets, displacing the nutrient rich whole foods needed for optimal health. (What’s the likelihood that they will be able to switch to a healthier diet if and when they develop health problems when they’ve become addicted to sugary and processed foods?) 

 We parents and mechanchim (and well meaning candymen) are putting them at unnecessary risk of the chronic diseases and mental health issues listed in Mrs. Rothman’s article  We can do better.