Sugar Blues: What's the Big Deal?

The problem with sugar is that my family likes sugar just a little too much.  We find ourselves looking forward to delightful desserts and rich, sugary, velvety drinks under the guise of "trying new foods" ;).  Never mind that they are a healthy fruit lassi or bubur cha cha (a Malaysian dessert of yams and sweet potatoes), they all have a common theme - they tend to be sweet tasting - and they contain an attractive ingredient - simple syrup usually made from refined sugar. Sugar is so entrenched in our lives that we don't think about it on a daily basis but when I find my son debating why he should be allowed his "daily quota" of sugar, methinks there might be an issue, don't you?  (By "debate", we are talking about raking through the number of grams of sugars per serving with a fine-toothed comb!  Now, that is motivated, dedicated "research".)

So, what's the big deal?  Are we really addicted to sugar? Why should we eat less refined sugar and how do we reduce our sugar intake?  Most importantly, where do we even start? 

Serendipitously, our homeschool friend, Arancha C., shared a classic, best-selling exposé on the effects of sugar on our systems.  She generously and candidly comments what she has learned about refined sugar in this fantastic summary below.  Thank you, Arancha!  I can't wait to read this along with my family.

"Sugar Blues" is similar to "Fast Food Nation" in that it is very wide ranging. It covers the history of sugar & its evolution from a very expensive & rare spice (it was the main impetus behind the huge slave trade of Africans to the Americas) to the grossly over-consumed commodity it has become today.  It also explains the very strong effects that refined sugar (sucrose) has on the body (& the mind!). The full mechanism is quite complicated & affects the endocrine system (a very complex interplay of organs, glands & hormones) as well as the nervous system. I can tell you a bit more about the former from what I remember (which may not be that accurate!)

Because refined sugar has been stripped of its fibers during processing it is metabolized much faster than other non-processed foods & makes the glucose level in the blood rise very fast (all food is metabolized into blood glucose & then converted by the cells into the energy that the body needs for functioning -- glucose is somewhat equivalent to gasoline fuel for a car). The body regulates an increase in glucose (& so tries to maintain homeostasis) by releasing insulin (from the pancreas).

Interestingly, what causes problems in terms of regulation for the endocrine system is not so much the rise in the amount of blood glucose but the *rate of increase*. Refined sugar results in a very rapid rate of increase, while other more natural sweet foods, such as honey or fruits, result in a much slower, healthy rate because they take longer to metabolize into glucose.

[I should say here that the term "sugar" is sometimes confusing because it is used as a general term but not all sugars are problematic. Sucrose from refined sugar is a problem but fructose from fruits is fine (to confuse things further, glucose is called "blood sugar")]

The problem that refined sugar causes then is a malfunctioning of the glucose regulatory mechanism, which is essential for health. Abusing sugar taxes the endocrine system heavily (particularly the pancreas & liver) & it can stop functioning properly as, for example, in the case of diabetics where not enough insulin is produced (I should say here that the cause of diabetes remains "unknown"). Or the opposite case of hyperinsulinitis & hypoglycemia, where too much insulin is produced (symptoms are constant fatigue & hunger, difficulty focusing, depression).

The message of the book is very clear: Sugar intake should be treated very seriously, much like alcohol is. It is very worrisome to see how hooked we all are & specially the case of children, where it is often associated with a treat/reward & consumed daily & heavily. I understand this is not a popular message to convey & it is even not well accepted by most mainstream doctors (many think hypoglycemia is a joke), but the evidence is there (the book is very well sourced) & I have experienced serious health problems with sugar abuse myself. To me, nothing is more compelling that having "lived the evidence" myself. I can say in all honesty that this book precipitated great & positive changes in my life.

Another fantastic book going into the health aspects only & written by a doctor ("Sugar Blues" was written by a journalist)  is "Body, Mind & Sugar", also out of print:
http://www.amazon.com/Body-Mind-Sugar-E-Abrahamson/dp/038000903X/ref=...

Maybe one day sugar will be treated with the same trepidation we reserve for alcohol & other powerful drugs today. But it will be a very little David against the mammoth economic forces working to keep us addicted to it.

I hope some of you get to read it! It's badly needed information. If only, try to use honey, maple & agave syrup or fruit juice instead of sugar to sweeten your desserts & treats. And explain the situation to your children, they may resist (mine certainly do!) but the seed will be planted in their heads.

Besos,
Arancha