The foods that natural man ate contained
only small amounts of sugar, and as these were absorbed from the stomach
and intestines, his appetite disappeared when the sugar reached the
bloodstream. Some would be the sugars contained in the food, but most
would come from the breakdown of starch. Starch is a complex chain made
up of sugar units which are broken off one at a time by the digestive
enzymes so that they reach the bloodstream over a period of time. As one
digests the starch he also digests and absorbs the numerous other
nutrients which he needs. Later, when man discovered how to extract the
sugar from plants, he could eat straight sugar. In this form sugar is
immediately absorbed by the body, hunger disappears immediately and
there is a quick rush of energy, but also a period of exhaustion and
weakness afterwards. This weakness leads to a craving for another dose
of sugar, and this is how sugar addiction starts. |
It
is widely known that white sugar is bad for teeth, but the consumption
of white sugar has more, far reaching consequences. The metabolism of
sugar requires accessory nutrients which are involved in its combustion,
including vitamins, minerals and even some protein and fat molecules.
These elements are depleted by the consumption of refined sugar. When
eating sugar becomes a habit, the supply of vitamins and minerals is
used up, and eventually such nutrients must be pulled from tissues in
the body in order to continue support of the metabolic activities fueled
by sugar. Even though most people are aware only of the weight gained
consumption of quantities of refined sugar, it can result in the body
becoming increasingly deficient in important nutrients. In some cases
only a limited amount of the sugar is burned since one feels too tired
to be very active. Without the desire for exercise, much of the sugar is
stored away as fat. The result is an unnatural obesity that has come to
characterize those who regularly consume soft drinks, candy and so on,
incurring a nutrient debt which they never pay off. Hunger and craving
for more food goes along with it as the body searches for what it really
needs. With modern refined foods (which by themselves have a shortage of
vitamins and minerals), especially those containing a large amount of
sugar, obesity and malnutrition may occur together. Eating more this way
will not improve one's health, on the contrary. |