Why is sugar toxic to the body? In 1957, Dr William Coda Martin attempted to answer the question: When is food a food and when is it a poison?
His definition of “poison” was: “Medically: Any substance applied to the body, ingested or developed within the body, which causes or may cause disease.” Dr. Martin determined that sugar is indeed a poison and thus, classified it as such.
Sugar’s toxic wrath is in part due to it’s composition as a purely refined carbohydrate. It is a chemical. Our bodies cannot utilize this poison because it has been stripped of all vitamins, minerals, and all other nutrients that help your body create optimum health. What occurs when sugar is ingested is a balancing act that takes place inside our bodies.
Because balance or homeostasis is so essential to our bodies, the minerals sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium are utilized to create this balance. For example, in order to neutralize the blood from sugar (sugar creates an acidic body), calcium is taken from the bones and teeth, thus, decay and osteoporosis may occur. If sugar is consumed every day, our bodies eventually will be depleted of these very important minerals and leave you with mineral deficiencies that depletes your health and weakens your defenses against disease. This process allows the dreaded free-radicals to cause major damage. Think of free-radicals as your body’s equivalent to nuclear destruction.
Excess sugar affects every single organ in the body – including the liver. The liver is where sugar is stored in the form of glucose. Eventually, if sugar is consumed every day, your liver will be unable to store the excess sugar and is returned to the blood in the form of fatty acids. Guess where those fatty acids are stored? They are stored in the most inactive areas: The belly, the buttocks, the breasts and the thighs. After these areas have been filled-up, the fatty acids then get distributed to organs such as the heart and kidneys.
Sugar hinders the body’s immune system and predisposes people to illness and disease. Our white blood cells are adversely affected. Here are just some health conditions associated with over-consumption of sugar: Obesity, cancer, aging, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, adult-onset diabetes, eczema, kidney stones, depression, candida (yeast over-growth), anxiety, dental cavities, atherosclerosis, poor brain function and countless other conditions.
Cancer is affected by sugar due to the cancer cell’s main source of fuel: Glucose. By controlling blood glucose, the cancer cells are starved for fuel and the immune system is bolstered.
We think of sugar as the granulated white stuff but it can be disguised in many forms such as: corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, lactose, molasses, honey, maltose, fruit juice and many other forms. It is essential that we become aware of the hidden sources of sugar found in processed foods.
In order to create optimum health, it is essential that we mindfully choose whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lower our stress levels, exercise and AVOID SUGAR.
To Your Good Health!
