Sugar: The Sweet & Silent Killer

Sugar’s role in the cause of world-wide disease has been linked to cancer, heart illness and, of course, diabetes.

Everybody knows that sugar causes tooth decay. It’s also understood that it brings on hypoglycemia, diabetes, and weight gain.

But, it gets worse…

New studies are putting sugar in the driver’s seat of some of the world’s deadliest diseases. It’s been found to support heart illnesses and can even bring on asthma attacks by inflaming and narrowing air passages. Then, mucus production increases, causing wheezing, coughing and severe shortness of breath.

And cancer loves to feed on it…

Why? It all comes down to a simple protein…

One research team at Duke University School of Medicine thinks they know how it happens.

Sugar, you see, strips healthy cells of specific growth factors that keep them alive, processing and absorbing nutrients. In this case, the nutrient in question is glucose. When this happens, the cells die. However, the research team at Duke found that cancer cells all contain a protein called Protein Kinase which belongs to a family of proteins known as AKT.

Because of Protein Kinase, cancer cells are unaffected by the stripping of glucose. The cells produce their own glucose, which keeps them alive and well.

And all this is because refined, processed sugar is a completely false food: no nutritional value, no fiber and absolutely no minerals. But, it does metabolize into your system by sucking out the nutrients you so carefully put into your body to remain healthy and balanced. This is also why sugar creates the perfect environment to sky-rocket cholesterol levels and stop fatty acids from being properly metabolized.

Fatty acids are responsible for releasing energy and letting us go through our days feeling invigorated — and lively. When those acids are blocked by the absorption of sugar, you get sluggish, tired, and have those “down days.” If you’ve ever suffered from fatigue or lethargy, you know what happens when fatty acids aren’t processed the right way by your body. It can even be responsible for bouts of depression, anxiety, and hyperactivity. But, the big question for is, why does sugar cause diabetes?

Picture this: a network of clear, twisting tubes moving water through a transparent container. Miles of these tubes can be seen with varied thickness. There is a hole at the top where you can pour additives into the tubes, and you choose to put in flour. A little flour doesn’t affect the water’s movement but as you add more and more, the water becomes thick and its movement is markedly slower.

This is what happens when you eat foods high in sugar. Sugar acts like a thickening agent for the blood. The good news is your pancreas knows all about this and sends insulin to the rescue. Now, insulin goes in and acts like a shop vac and sucks the unhealthy amount of sugar out of your bloodstream. If that’s the case, then why worry? Your pancreas will just throw out insulin and take care of the problem.

Well, the fact is when you consistently eat food high in sugar (even yogurts and high-starch, high-carb food like pasta and potatoes), you turn your pancreas into a high-volume insulin factory, and over time, your body becomes desensitized to it and the vacuum effectively shuts down. Then – you guessed it – diabetes. That’s why diabetics have to shoot insulin. Your body needs more to get the vacuum pulling again.

How Do Artificial Sweeteners Compare: NutraSweet, Equal and  Splenda – Oh, my!

So, Equal and other artificial sweeteners are the answer, right? WRONG! These are even more dangerous than sugar because NutraSweet and Equal are made with aspartame. This is essentially a toxic poison that contains methyl alcohol (wood alcohol). When it’s absorbed by your body, it converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, a toxic chemical that, through overexposure, can cause blindness, skin allergies, and liver and kidney damage (if you’ve ever been bitten by an ant or stung by a bee, then you know how painful formic acid feels when it hits you). Overexposure can be defined as just 3 – 4 cans of diet soda per day.

But, what about Splenda? That’s supposed to be a healthy alternative. WRONG AGAIN! Splenda is actually a chlorinated, man-made sweetener, and it’s toxic to your tummy. Duke University did a study and found that Splenda was like pouring poison into your gut. The chlorinated artificial “sucralose” (that’s the sweet stuff) destroys the good bacteria and flora in your intestines and colon making digestion and healthy waste elimination a real problem. And that leads to bloating, constipation, and misery. As you can see switching to artificial sweeteners is no way to avoid the dangers of sugar!

Can Honey or Other Natural Sweeteners Save the Day?

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