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Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health
Sugar intake has increased 40-50 times since the American revolution and about 5 times since the 1950s. Annual American consumption of sugar has been rising in recent decades and is at 152 pounds per person per year. This also correlates with the rising consumption of carbonated beverages and the concomitant rise in obesity and metabolic syndrome with all its complications.
By the way, even non-calorie sweeteners can affect the intestinal bacteria with implications for overall health.
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Any excess consumption of added sugars (sugar and high fructose corn syrup) is stored in the body. The harm afflicted by rising use of sugar on the health of society can be seen all around us. Much of our obesity is due to sugar sweeteners and not fat consumption.
This fact was not lost on Dr. Atkins who popularized the Atkins diet which broadly restricted carbohydrate intake. Remember, complex carbohydrate intake is not bad, the main culprit is the simple carbohydrates as in sugar and even fructose as in donuts, cookies and carbonated beverages etc. Rather than having to explain the differences between types of carbs, Dr. Atkins just simplified it for the masses-No carbs!
Think of sugar as a poison, just like alcohol might be. Intake in moderation is fine, excess consumption is toxic!
Sugar substitutes
Although sugar substitutes are thought to have no effect on metabolism, recent reports suggest that they can affect glucose metabolism. They also affect the gut bacteria and thus affect the entire body. Studies in animals raised in germ-free environment suggest that they preferentially consume nutritive sweeteners compared with sweeteners without calories.
Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health
Controversial sugar substitutes
HFCS is widely used as sweetener and has been implicated in the increasing tide of obesity, metabolic syndrome and heart disease. According to Dr. Bray at the Louisiana State University, fructose is hazardous to the health of some people. Fructose associated damage is not solely related to its effect on obesity since metabolic changes due to fructose may occur even in the absence of obesity.
However many experts have challenged this hypothesis blaming the fructose as cause of many of our health problems. Dr. Bantle in a review article titled, “Is fructose the optimal low glycemic index sweetener?” suggests that “there is not yet any convincing evidence that dietary fructose does increase energy intake”. The latter is consistent with reports by Soenen and colleagues from Netherlands who found no differences in satiety or energy intake after HFCS, sucrose, or milk.
Dr. White states that “fructose intake at normal population levels and patterns does not cause biochemical outcomes substantially different from other dietary sugars”. According to Drs. Rippe & Angelopoulos from the University of Central Florida, “Whether there is a link between fructose, HFCS, or sucrose and increased risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, or fatty infiltration of the liver or muscle remains in dispute”.
In fact some studies suggest that use of artificial sweeteners is associated with increased weight gain.
Is It Leaky Gut or Leaky Gut Syndrome?
As always, moderation is the key. Defining moderation can also be controversial. Just because there is paucity of evidence to support harmful effects of fructose does not mean that you should load up on fructose in your diet.
Naturally occurring fructose in your daily consumption of fruits and vegetables should not be a major problem.
Aspartame (Nutrasweet(R), Equal(R))
Aspartame is made of phenyl alanine, aspartic acid and methanol. Aspartic acid is a predecessor for glutamate. Both aspartic acid and glutamate are involved in transmission of signals in the brain. Finally, methanol is broken down to formaldehyde which is toxic to the body. Subjects with phenyl ketone urea are especially at risk for aspartame toxicity.
Daily consumption of aspartame is well below the 50mg/kg body-weight per day suggested by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Toxicity studies in animals have not found an increased risk of cancer or effect on the brain function.
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Although some epidemiologic data suggests an increased risk for some cancers in humans, according to Dr. Marinovich and colleagues, “No consistent association for cancers of the upper aero-digestive tract, digestive tract, breast, endometrium, ovary, prostate, and kidney”
Still, some experts have implicated aspartame in increased headaches, sleeplessness and seizure disorders etc. These problems could potentially occur due to the components and metabolic products of aspartame causing changes in the levels of neurotransmitters in different areas of the brain.
Similarly, while implicated, there does not appear to be association of aspartame with vascular events and preterm deliveries.
Saccharine (Sweet 'N Low)
Saccharine is 500 times sweeter than sugar. Although initial reports indicated an increased risk of cancer due to saccharine consumption, recent data has not confirmed these findings.
Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health
Healthy Natural Sweeteners
Stevia
Stevia is a natural sweetener, It is a purified extract from the plant Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) and is 300 times sweeter than sugar but without any added calories. Studies suggest the stevia consumption is associated with lowering blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure over long term. Stevia has also beneficial effect on glucose metabolism and thus may help patients with diabetes.
Is It Leaky Gut or Leaky Gut Syndrome?
Honey
Honey is sweet and does contain calories! Upon ingestion, it also affects the gut bacteria. It is well known to have healing effect on cough and common cold. Medical grade honey is used for wound healing. Not all honey are the same.
Studies show that honey reduces glucose levels and is better tolerated than most common sugars or sweeteners. According to Dr. Erejuwa and colleagues and as published in the journal Molecules (2012), “Honey, administered alone or in combination with conventional therapy, might be a novel antioxidant in the management of chronic diseases commonly associated with oxidative stress”. The list of diseases includes diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s.
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Miscellaneous Natural Sweeteners
- Maple syrup is not just sweet but full of antioxidants.
- Molasses are sweet and also contain the highest content of antioxidants of the sweetening options even higher than maple syrup and honey.
- Sucanat® is basically dried whole cane juice and includes molasses which are not present in refined sugar. Because of its composition, it does cause fluctuations in blood glucose.
- Monk fruit in the Raw® is natural sweetener derived from monk fruit.
- Coconut sugar contains both glucose and fructose but has low glycemic index plus truckload of essential minerals.
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