Sugar is Food! How Can It Be Toxic?
Sugar is FOOD!
How can food be toxic? Sugar is not food; even though we use it daily, sugar is an energy source without any nutritional benefits. It is addictive, moving into our daily intake with meals, drinks and even condiments we thought would never contain sugar.
Food is a material that contains protein, carbohydrates, and fat used in the body to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes, giving energy. Sugar provides energy, so is it food? Fructose, the sweet molecule in sugar, contains calories that provide energy. It is naturally found in fruit and is not a problem when eaten in the form of whole foods. When it is used as a sweetener, it is in the form of high fructose corn syrup that can cause metabolic issues.
The Liver is the only place where fructose can be metabolised before it is utalised by the body. When we overeat fructose, it gets stored as fat, leading to excess weight gain and a risk of heart disease. Like alcohol, it is a toxin damaging the liver when consumed excessively. Alcohol is made from fermented sugars and changes the body's biochemical reactions when consumed in high doses. We know that alcohol is not food; it's not nutritious. It, too, is a toxin in large quantities, causing damage to the liver.
There is no biochemical reaction in the body that requires sugar. There is no other energy source without nutrition that we call food, and one that causes disease when consumed in high doses. So why is it that sugar is still seen as ok to consume?
Sugar is addictive and an obvious toxin, and it is known to feed cancer cells, depress the immune system, and lead to premature aging. In women's health, it is believed to be the leading factor in developing polycystic ovary syndrome, which can be one of the reasons for infertility.
During pregnancy, women are naturally insulin resistant; this comes from an evolutionary perspective. When glucose is scarce, any glucose is reserved for the baby to develop properly. This no longer works with our current lifestyles, where sugar is readily available. Hence we see gestational diabetes and changes to how women are allowed to move into the last weeks of their pregnancy, with what is known as the “Big Baby” syndrome. Not every woman fits this category, nor does her baby, in regards to gestational diabetes.
Consuming nutrient dense foods for energy, not quick fixes that contain sugar, making health meal choices is vital for your health and wellbeing. Dieatry advice,
Written by Melinda Webb, a qualified Dr Chinese medicine, Buteyko Breath Instructor, Calmbirth Educator and Birth Doula. She offers health rebates, care packages and practices at Beattie Street Health Studio in Balmain.
Learn more about how Mel can help you on your wellness journey today!
