vicious cycle of eating too much of it, our brains become programmed to crave more and more.
ERIC: The more you consume sugar, the less rewards you get from sugar, and the more you escalate your sugar intake.
ALLISON LANGDON: Does it sit comfortably with you saying sugar is worse than cocaine?
ERIC: In terms of morbidity and mortality, sugar kills way more people than any psychoactive drug.
ALLISON LANGDON: But for some, kicking the sugar habit can be as hard as conquering a serious drug addiction.
In his landmark research, along with a University of California neuropsychologist, Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explored the damage caused by sugary foods in The Bitter Truth 1:29:28.
A more recent educational video by Dr. Robert Lustig, MD, is The Ultimate Guide to Blood Sugar, INSULIN RESISTANCE Metabolic Health, 1:41:30
Also, How to Break Free From Sugar Addiction-Do This Today to Stop Craving Sweets!, 20:30 Dr. Robert Lustig, MD
You May Never Eat Sugar Again After Watching This, 17:51 Dr. Robert Lustig, MD,
EFFECTS & ABUNDANCE
Sugar poisons the mitochondria. Sugar and cyanide do the same thing. Ultra-processed junk foods are now 56% of the UK Diet. Ultra-processed food, like sugar, inhibits skeletal growth, which is the ability of bones to increase in length and width.
Juvenile delinquency is a common symptom among young people who consume a sugary junk food diet. Simply check the diet of any delinquent person, those on anti-psychotic medication, and those who went on a shooting rampage. A highly processed (sugary) junk food diet and medication were what they all had in common. Cut out the sugar and synthetic sweeteners, and I believe a high percentage of crime, mental illness, and chronic diseases could be prevented. Surprisingly, many of the so-called mental health ‘experts’ have yet to acknowledge or address this fact. Government ministers or representatives rarely, if ever, promote or support good nutrition. All they talk about and support is the latest wonder drug as the panacea. It is no wonder that teens suffer from such high rates of mental illness and suicide. When is enough, enough?
Highly recommended reading for every parent, teacher, and government minister/senator/representative is Food and Behavior by Barbara Reed Stitt, Ph.D., published in 2009. (Previously published as Food, Teens, and Behavior by Barbara Reed, Ph.D., 1983 by The Natural Press).
Dr. Reed, a probation officer, had the most successful program of its kind, and yet it was ignored by the media and most government health departments. If this very successful program were implemented in every school, crime and mental illness-related budgets would be significantly reduced.
Currently, highly processed food products in the globalized world contain a high amount of added refined or artificial sugar. The same is true of most airline food, school lunches, hospital and restaurant meals, and fast food products. This is done to reap larger profits. In addition, poorly trained, unimaginative chefs and unethical food manufacturers use these cheap ingredients to enhance the taste of their poor-quality meals/products.
Consequently, it is almost impossible for a busy working person or student to find an affordable, wholesome, healthy meal that is not loaded with sugar, HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup), flavor enhancers, GMOs, or damaged oils. Globally, major changes are needed in culinary school education.
EDUCATION & GOVERNMENT
To change the current broken system of “business as usual” will require integrity and strong leadership on the part of our elected leaders, along with cooperation from food manufacturers. If manufacturers continue to resist, then new regulations would be necessary.
Unfortunately, there are big obstacles. Not only is the sugar industry one of the largest contributors of PAC money to Congress in the USA, but it is also very influential in Australia and New Zealand. Plus, this industry collaborates with the powerful soda industry and giant supermarket corporations to increase sales of their addictive products.
The sugar industry was also influential in establishing water fluoridation, assuming that it would disguise the harm of sugar. Perhaps, it is time they were held financially responsible for the damage, illnesses, and huge medical/mental care costs created by their harmful products!
Parents who are trying to help their children overcome their drug addiction should be aware of the fact that a drug addiction starts with a sugar addiction. Thus, to overcome any drug addiction, including alcoholism, one must first and foremost address the cause. Then, correct the body’s sugar/glucose metabolism by providing a nutritionally wholesome diet and various supplements, while eliminating refined sugar/carbohydrates and other addictive drugs, including tobacco, coffee, caffeine, etc., which raise the body’s insulin.
This, in turn, will rebuild, strengthen, and balance the endocrine (glandular) system. Because of biochemical individuality, one size doesn’t fit all. Hence, it is best to consult with a good nutritionist and integrative/functional medical practitioner. NourishingBasics.com is excellent for nutrition.
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
One such medical practitioner is Dr. Mark Hyman, who belongs to a new breed of inspiring medical doctors, practicing Integrative medicine. He also believes in addressing the cause and nutritional imbalances to cure his patients. This is a refreshing change from the usual doctor who hands out drug prescriptions for every ailment. http://drhyman.com/
According to Dr. Mark Hyman, in his book, The Blood Sugar Solution, “Insulin resistance is the leading cause of aging and death in the developed and most of the developing world. In fact, diabesity, the continuum of health problems ranging from mild insulin resistance and overweight to obesity and diabetes, is the single biggest global health epidemic of our time. Affecting 1.7 billion people worldwide, it is one of the leading causes of heart disease, dementia, cancer, and premature death in the world. It is almost entirely caused by environmental and lifestyle factors. This means that it is almost 100% preventable and curable.
CHRONIC DISEASES
From 1980 to 2010, childhood obesity tripled. One in three children in America is overweight and will have diabetes in their lifetime. Childhood obesity will have a greater impact on the life expectancy of children than all childhood cancers combined.
As if this weren’t bad enough, sugar also promotes unfriendly bacteria in the gut, which in turn contributes to yeast infections and prevents absorption of much-needed nutrients. Sugar depletes the immune system and contributes to deficiencies. When sugar is consumed, white T-cells become immobilized and clump together. The lymphatic system becomes congested. Sore throats are usually the first symptom.
Tonsils are the lymphatic system’s first line of defense. Sugar consumption also causes congestion in the sinuses and respiratory system.
If sugar consumption does not stop, then lung congestion occurs as the body produces more mucus in an effort to eliminate the bacteria. If sugar consumption continues, eventually, plaque forms in the arteries, leading to atherosclerosis.”
Refined sugar also feeds cancer cells. Yet, a patient is rarely, if ever, told to eliminate refined sugar from their diet! Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute in Utah were among the first to discover that sugar "feeds" tumors. According to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, it has been known since 1923 that tumor cells consume more glucose than normal cells. “Our research helps show how this process takes place, and how it might be stopped to control tumor growth," says Don Ayer, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah. For more details, read Cancer & Sugar-Strategy for Selective Starvation of Cancer, by Dr. Mark Sircus, Greenmedinfo.com, 27 Feb 2013.