jvenner@wateng.UUCP (Jason P. Venner) (02/25/84)
_B_a_d _N_e_w_s _i_f _y_o_u _L_o_v_e _S_u_g_a_r
_b_y _C_r_o_f_f _W_o_o_d_r_u_f_f
_T_a_k_e_n _f_r_o_m _N_a_t_u_r_a_l _F_o_o_d_s _B_u_l_l_e_t_i_n, _J_a_n.~_F_e_b._8_4 _p_g _1_0
It is well known that diabetics are very prone to bac-
terial and fungal infections which can be very troublesome
and add serious complications to an unhealthy situation.
With this in mind, researchers at the University of Alabama
Medical School's Department of Oral Medicine wondered if
this weakness for infections was due to the diabetics
chronic problem with high blood sugar levels. Furthermore,
would high sugar consumption cause a non-diabetic to be more
prone to infection?
Using an artificially sweetened cola as a control the
clinicians had their subjects (volunteer dental students)
drink sugar sweetened cola and measured white blood cell
activity. What was clearly demonstrated was that for every
teaspoon of sugar consumed, fifty per cent of the phagocytes
(pronounced Fagesit -- white cells which identify, kill, and
eat unwanted invaders such as viruses, bacteria, and cancer
cells) were paralyzed for a five hour period. The more
sugar consumed the longer the phagocytes are immobile. A
twelve ounce bottle of cola containing 8 to 10 teaspoons of
sugar inflicted this effect on the white cells for 40 to 50
hours!
The Phagocytes are the first line of defense in the
body's immune system. What this means is that our weakness
for pop, candy, shakes, dough-nuts, and other sugar
saturated "goodies" is putting almost half of our defense
system out of order leaving us easy prey to infections.
Is it any wonder that every fall we have our predict-
able bout with colds and flu's whose names read like an
international traveller's itinerary and change from year to
year as the immunologist chases the elusive viruses. All
summer we've been indulging in pop and ice cream (most ice
cream contains 8 to 12 per cent sugar depending on the fla-
vour and soft ice cream or ice milk can contain up to 50 per
cent sugar) and then we give the children a chaser with Hal-
loween "treats," that play further tricks on their health.
We have barely recovered form this assault on our
immune system when we start all over with a lengthy sugar
frenzy over Christmas and New Years which we pay for heavily
in January and February with increased sickness. So the
answer to this health menace is to avoid using sugar and
processed foods!
When you use ketchup it contains 29% sugar. Chocolate
ice cream is 21% sugar. A highly advertised coating for
baked chicken and other meats contains 51% sugar! Jello is
80% sugar! Canned fruit may be in heavy syrup of 45% or
greater. Many canned foods such as peas, corn, yellow and
green beans have sugar added. Baked beans have sugar in
them as well. Popularly advertised peanut butter spreads
such as Jiff, aside from shortenings, also have added sugar.
Most of the prepared breakfast cereals are heavily sugared
and some run as high as 68% sugar!
Sugar is used in curing meats such as ham, cold cuts,
frankfurters, and sausages. It is also present in bouillon
cubes, soups, gravies, table salt, non-dairy creamer (in one
brand of non-dairy creamer there was more sugar found than
what would be expected from a candy bar), potatoe chips, and
so-called dry roasted nuts.
Vitamin preparations for your youngsters are another
potential source for sugar. One nationally advertised brand
of children's chewable vitamin is 55.9% sucrose in addition
to the presence of artificial flavour and colour.
Check your chewable vitamins. If they contain fructose
they'll be more desirable that those that contain sucrose.
Fructose must first be metabolised by the liver into glucose
which is the form all sugar must take to be in the blood.
Sucrose is converted into dextrose in the small intestine
and is absorbed immediately by the liver and converted into
glycogen (an animal starch) and stored until it is converted
into required glucose (blood sugar). Because of the
biochemical process the metabolizing of fructose is much
longer that it is with sucrose and nutritionists recommend
fructose and honey in small amounts as an alternative to
sucrose.
When using recipes that call for sugar bear in mind
that most likely the recipe was made up be a food technolo-
gist in the pay of the sugar industry. More is better when
it means increased sugar sales. Use less sugar if you must
use sugar as in a fine cake.
A New Year resolution: Why not change to honey? Pure
raw honey has vitamins and minerals in trace amounts and is
rich in enzymes. Because of its intense sweetness you may
use less than what the recipe calls for.
--
yours sincerely,
Jason P. Venner
physical mail: Integrated Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario.,
Canada. N2L 3G1
UUCP: {allegra, decvax, cbosg, teklabs,linus, sunybcs}!watmath!wateng!jvenner