Like A Kid in a Candy Store

[Guest guest]

Hi

My wife thinks that the " sugar in the raw " , the brand she uses, is not refined

in the way you

claim, using charred animal bones. Care to give us some info on this?

Joe

--- " Misty L. Trepke " <mistytrepke wrote:

> Comments?

> Misty L. Trepke

> http://www..com

>

> Like A Kid in a Candy Store

> by Brigitte Mars

>

> http://innerself.com/Health/mars07243.htm

>

> Sugar is not only the most prevalent addiction in our society, but

> it's also the least recognized and one of the hardest to kick. You

> may think, What's this -- sugar? An addiction? The answer is a

> resounding yes!

> Think about it -- have you ever seen a kid freak out in the vegetable

>

> aisle? And have you ever had an overwhelming, makes-your-mouth-water,

> not-to-be-denied craving for, say, a turnip? Doesn't quite inspire

> the same feelings of passion that so many of us -- especially women

> --

> have for chocolate, does it?

>

> Sugar, like a drug, makes the body feel good, and when that feeling

> passes, the body craves more. Yet almost no one calls sugar an

> addictive substance. What's truly frightening about it is that sugar

> is found in practically every food product on the grocery store

> shelf. Are we a society of unknowing addicts? Perhaps.

>

> Sweet History

> Sugar is derived from sugarcane (Saccharum oficinarum) and sugar beet

> (Beta vulgaris).

>

> Sugar was so precious in past ages that it was used only in small

> amounts to flavor medicines. And it was expensive -- in the early

> fourteenth century sugar sold for two shillings a pound in London.

> Today this would be about a hundred dollars a kilo, or almost fifty

> dollars a pound.

> One hundred years ago the average American ate about four pounds of

> sugar a year. Now that number has risen to about 150 pounds per

> person per year.

> That adds up to five tons in a lifetime!

>

> White sugar as we know it first became available in 1812, when a

> chemist found a way to make " chemically pure " sugar, defined as 99.5

> percent sucrose.

>

> To make white sugar, sugarcane is first crushed, or sugar beets are

> first sliced, and infused in hot water. The cane or beets are then

> fed through rollers to extract their juice. The juice is filtered

> through charred animal bones to remove impurities, then boiled to

> allow excess water to evaporate, and then seeded with sugar crystals

> to encourage crystallization. After crystallization the sugar is spun

> in high-speed machines, similar to clothes dryers, which separate the

> sugar from the syrup.

>

> In traditional Chinese medicine

> sugar cravings are seen as

> a desire for " the mother energy "

> or a need for comfort and security.

>

> A Refined Dependency

> In our society we are born and bred to be sugar addicts. Unlike other

> highly addictive substances -- cocaine, heroin, prescription drugs --

> which can be difficult to procure, finding food products without

> sugar can be a challenge. By the time most people have their first

> experience with alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, they've been sugar

> addicts for years.

>

> Nature most likely planned us to be attracted to the nutrients

> available in sweet foods. For example, our first food, mother's milk,

> is naturally sweet. However, the process of refining -- which is as

> complex as that for getting heroin from poppies and cocaine from coca

> leaves -- removes all the accompanying nutrients and fiber from the

> original plant material.

> Only the sucrose is kept. Because sugar is so refined, it doesn't

> require much processing by the body and passes almost directly into

> the intestines and bloodstream just like a drug. And like a drug,

> sugar can be habit forming. If you don't think you're addicted, just

> try to go a couple of weeks without it!

>

> Sugar addiction is, in part, a by-product of sugar's purity -- the

> body is not suited to accommodate this level of refinement. Simple

> sugars -- found in white table sugar, corn syrup, fructose, honey,

> white flour, or any other super-refined carbohydrate -- are refined

> to the point that digestion is practically superfluous. When you

> consume simple sugars, they are passed quickly into the bloodstream.

> Blood sugar levels skyrocket, and you experience a lift in energy.

> But that feeling of increased energy and mental alertness is very

> temporary. As most of us can confirm, sugar highs lead to sugar

> crashes. And when that buzz wears off, the body cries out for more

> sugar.

>

> Sugar is also an antidepressant of sorts. Consumption of sugar

> triggers the release of the brain chemical serotonin, which elevates

> mood and alleviates depression. Sugar cravings are often a misguided

> attempt by the body to increase serotonin levels in the system and

> thus elevate mood.

> Sugar cravings can also be caused by low endorphin levels,

> hypoglycemia, endocrine imbalances, candida, and nutritional

> deficiencies.

>

> Those suffering from sugar addiction often experience irritability,

> headaches, mood swings, and insomnia. Signs of sugar withdrawal

> include restlessness, nervousness, headache, and depression.

>

> Studies in prisons indicate that violence is remarkably reduced when

> sugar and refined carbohydrates are eliminated from the diet.

>

> The Real Scoop on Sugar

> It's an undisputed fact that sugar contributes to dental cavities.

> Sugar interacts with bacteria in the mouth to produce acids that make

> holes in the teeth enamel. Sugar also contributes to plaque

> accumulation.

> Knowing this, do we cut back on our sugar consumption? No. We simply

> put fluoride in our drinking water and train more dentists.

>

> But sugar has a great many more ill effects on the human body. Sugar

> stands accused of causing both hypoglycemia and diabetes. It has been

> linked to numerous mental disorders, including depression,

> hyperactivity, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and phobias. It

> weakens the immune system, encourages the growth of infections, and

> lowers the production of antibodies. It overtaxes the spleen,

> pancreas, and small intestines.

> Overconsumption of sugar contributes to the development of allergies,

> anemia, arthritis, cancer, Crohn's disease, gout, headaches, heart

> disease, herpes, hyperactivity, impotence, obesity, osteoporosis,

> PMS, and yeast infections.

>

> Sugar is often called an antinutrient. Overconsumption of simple

> sugars causes the body to use up its supplies of calcium, potassium,

> thiamin, and chromium. And all sugars, even natural ones, appear to

> compete with vitamin C for transportation into white blood cells.

> Without adequate amounts of vitamin C, the immune system becomes

> severely compromised.

>

> Sugar and Diabetes

> The link between sugar consumption and diabetes was recognized as

> long ago as 1929, when Sir Frederick Banting observed that Panamanian

> sugar plantation owners, who consumed refined sugar, had a much

> higher incidence of diabetes than their workers, who ate only

> unrefined cane sugar.

>

> When simple sugars are ingested, they raise blood glucose levels. The

> pancreas responds by releasing insulin, which stabilizes the blood

> sugar levels. Over time, if simple sugars are overconsumed, the

> pancreas becomes overly sensitive to sugar, and insulin secretion

> becomes excessive, causing a persistent hypoglycemic state. If this

> pattern continues, the pancreas becomes overworked and ceases to be a

> reliable source of insulin; the body suffers from elevated blood

> sugar levels and can develop Type 2 diabetes. The incidence of

> adult-onset diabetes in the United States has increased

> proportionately to the increase in sugar consumption.

> Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United

> States.

>

> The -Ose Cousins

> Check the ingredients list on some prepared foods in your

> refrigerator and cabinets. You just might be surprised at how much

> sugar is in them.

> Don't see " sugar " listed? Look for its " -ose " cousins: fructose,

> dextrose, sucrose, maltose, et cetera. They may hide behind high-tech

> chemical names, but at heart they're all sugar.

>

> The -ose cousins come in a range of molecular complexity.

> Monosaccharides, or simple sugars, are quickly digested and passed on

> almost directly to the bloodstream. Disaccharides are slightly more

> complex; they must be broken down by enzymes before they can be fully

> digested.

> Polysaccharides are even more complex; these are the sugars you find

> naturally occurring in whole grains and starches. The more complex a

> sugar is, the more slowly it's digested, and the less startling the

> effect it has on your blood sugar levels.

>

> Some of the more common -ose cousins you're likely to come across

> include:

>

> • Dextrose is made from corn, sugarcane, or sugar beets. It's a

> highly refined monosaccharide and is thus very quickly absorbed.

>

> • Fructose, also known as levulose, occurs naturally in fruits, many

> plants, and honey. For commercial purposes it's derived from corn,

> sugarcane, or sugar beets. Although it's more slowly absorbed than

> white sugar (sucrose), it's still a highly refined simple sugar. It's

>

> slightly sweeter than white sugar.

>

> • Glucose is the same sugar our bodies use for energy; it's also

> found in many fruits, vegetables, and grains. Glucose is stored by

> the liver in the form of glycogen and released when a burst of energy

> is needed. It's a monosaccharide, or simple sugar, and is absorbed

> into the bloodstream almost immediately. When glucose is derived from

> foods such as legumes and whole grains, it's metabolized more slowly

> and is easier on the body.

>

> • Lactose is a disaccharide composed of glucose and galactose. Found

> in the milk of mammalian mothers, it's only slightly sweet.

>

> • Maltose. Also known as malt sugar, maltose is found in barley and

> rice syrups. As a disaccharide, or complex sugar, it takes longer to

> digest, which is desirable: it keeps blood sugar levels from

> skyrocketing.

> It's made by the fermentation of starches by enzymes or yeast.

>

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