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Sugar
It's sweet, fluffy, and ubiquitous – that solace for sorrow and panacea for
pain called sugar. This seemingly harmless substance is actually an
addicting drug, and it tears down the human body relatively quickly. Health
author William Dufty, in his book Sugar Blues, states: "Hapless [sugar]
addicts have been medically mistreated over the years with everything from
morphine to tranquilizers, from brain surgery to burnings at the stake. How
did a great civilization ever slide into such a stupefying bind ?"
The intake of white, refined sugar is perhaps responsible for more human
ills – both physical and psychological – than the average person ever
imagined. It has been linked to diseases such as cancer and diabetes, but
has also been linked to PMS, depression, heart problems, tooth decay,
digestive disturbances and many other ailments.
Sugar is an empty carbohydrate that robs the body of nutrients such as
calcium, magnesium, chromium, zinc, vitamin C and B-vitamins. Calcium and
magnesium are responsible for strong bones and nervous system. Excessive,
prolonged sugar intake can contribute to weak bones ( including osteoporosis
) and nervous disorders. It is hard to cope with stress when calcium, and
magnesium, as well as B-vitamin reserves are low.
The adrenal glands depend upon good nutrition to function properly, and
sugar can rob them of the necessary nutrients. These glands, which produce
hormones in response to stress, can become "tired" when overworked. The
adrenal glands help balance blood sugar levels, and when blood sugar levels
are low ( hypoglycemia ), fatigue can result.
Chromium is the major nutrient responsible for a healthy pancreas. When the
pancreas is not functioning properly, diabetes can result.
Zinc and vitamin C are major nutrients which help the body heal and repair
tissues. They are also directly involved in keeping the body's immune system
in good shape. If they are destroyed by sugar, a person is more susceptible
to illness and chronic disease.
B-vitamins help keep a person's
mental health balanced. When these nutrients are destroyed, mental illness
can result. This problem can be manifested early as depression and mood
swings. However, more severe symptoms can result. Schizophrenia has been
linked to severe B-vitamin depletion. B-vitamins are responsible for keeping
estrogen levels balanced in the body. When a woman produces excess estrogen
that her body does not metabolize with the help of proper nutrients to
nourish the liver, she can experience many premenstrual disorders, including
painful cramps, water retention and moodiness. In extreme cases, suicidal
thoughts are not uncommon.
The liver can become congested and sick from a diet rich in sugar. Because
the liver is directly responsible for filtering toxins, including excessive
estrogen, from the body, the immune system can go haywire and not perform
its job when the a person eats a lot of sugar. This makes one more
susceptible to illness, including chronic disease such as cancer.
The menstrual cycle gives a woman's body the opportunity to detoxify wastes
every month, being partly a cleansing process. It is estimated that if she
consumes a nutritious diet and stays away from junk foods, that the cycle
could be shortened to 2-3 days.
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