q + a
sugar, its effects, and alternatives
October 2006
With Dr. Cindy Gale
For many of us, October is known for the changing colors of trees, reaping the harvest, the scariest of ghouls and the whopping sales of candy. Yes, it is Halloween, again. With the hoopla from parents across America pining for
un-sweetened and all natural alternatives to the sugar and additive filled menu staples, the subject of sweeteners is causing a meltdown. This month I’ve invited
Dr. Cindy Gale to share some of her expertise. She is on a mission: To help people reclaim their health and teach them how to be healthy in an unhealthy world! As a Chiropractor, educator, writer, professional speaker, and life coach, Dr. Gale devotes her time and energy to learning all she can about her patients' health concerns and supporting them in achieving their goals for optimal health.
She is involved with Mission Possible, the international, nonprofit organization that promotes awareness of toxic food additives, such as Aspartame and MSG. So, I invite you to check out her perspective on what’s happening in the world of additives and their effects on the body.
Q: What causes sugar cravings?
DCG: One cause of sugar cravings is Candidiasis. Candidiasis is the over-proliferation of the yeast, Candida, which occurs naturally in the digestive tract. Normally, this yeast is kept in balance by the good bacteria in our digestive tract, but when anyone takes antibiotics that balance is disrupted. Antibiotics kill not just the bad bacteria, but the good bacteria as well, and that is when the trouble starts. Also, Candida has its own “consciousness” if you will, that sends signals to our brain to feed it foods that contain sugar. That’s why these cravings are so difficult to ignore.
The typical American diet is filled with carbohydrates, which causes Candida to thrive. The Candida then attaches itself to the walls of the intestine and makes holes in the intestinal lining. Once these holes are made, it causes “Leaky Gut Syndrome” which is when food and other debris leak out of the gut and into our bloodstream and abdominal cavity, causing illness and disease. The signs and symptoms of Candidiasis are persistent bloating and gas, joint and muscle pain, bad breath, recurrent vaginal yeast infections, food sensitivities and allergies, recurrent bladder infection, insomnia, sinus problems, itchiness and oral thrush.
Diet products, believe it or not, also cause carbohydrate cravings and makes its users become addicted as well. When patients tell me that they drink diet soda, it’s usually because they’re either diabetic or want to lose weight. So I tell them how harmful diet soda is and explain to them that diet soda doesn’t make you lose weight. Then I suggest that they drink water, which has no artificial sweeteners, no calories, and no carbs. Water is also good for diabetics, and helps cleanse the body of toxins.
Of course, there are psychological causes for sugar cravings. If someone is upset, they may have a tendency to be drawn to “comfort food” which may be any assortment of sweetened items, especially chocolate, which raises the levels of serotonin in our brain.
Q: Aside from causing cavities, comparatively, how do artificial and natural sugars affect the body? The brain?
DCG: Our body and brain need sugar as a fuel source, which is why nature has provided us with fruit, for instance. The problem in this country is that sugar is found in just about every processed food item, so it’s almost impossible to avoid. When you read the ingredients on most any package check for the suffix “-ose” as in “fructose”. Too much of anything is usually not good, but that’s especially true of simple carbohydrates. Since carbs energize us, too much can cause problems such as ADHD and behavioral problems in children.
Another problem arising from too much sugar in our diet is Obesity. When we consume food, it’s supposed to be burned off throughout the day. Unfortunately, most of us ingest much more food than we can possibly burn off, and the rest gets stored as fat. Artificial sweeteners, such as Aspartame, cause carbohydrate cravings, and even though people use these items to avoid gaining weight, the effect is just the opposite. Splenda, aka Sucralose, should also be avoided, as it is a chlorinated hydrocarbon and toxic to humans. I strongly recommend avoiding all synthetic and artificial products. Nature has provided us with all that we need to be healthy, yet we are creating a very sick society because of the “food” we consume and the toxins to which we are exposed.
Q: What are the most common artificial sweeteners on the market?
DCG: Aspartame, aka NutraSweet and Equal; and Sucralose, aka Splenda
Q: What common foods and beverages are these artificial sweeteners in?
DCG: They’re usually found in diet products, such as diet soda and other diet drinks, as well as diet foods. They are also found in many other products, such as all chewing gum, some children’s vitamins, toothpaste, and thousands of other products. This is why it’s so important to read ingredient labels.
Q: Are there any physical side affects from using these sweeteners?
DCG: Yes, and some very serious ones. Aspartame is an “excitotoxin” because it overstimulates brain cells, to the point of killing them. Considered a neurotoxin, aspartame causes brain lesions and destroys the Central Nervous System. Thus, most of the problems are neurological in nature.
Aspartame breaks down within 20 minutes at room temperature into several primary toxic and dangerous ingredients: 1) DKP (diketopiperazine; which converts to a near duplicate of a powerful brain tumor-causing agent); 2) Formic Acid (ant venom); 3) Formaldehyde (embalming fluid); and 4) Methanol (causes blindness).
Q: What types of sweeteners would you recommend to use that are more natural?
DCG: I recommend using turbinado aka raw sugar, honey, and molasses. Stevia, and Xylitol, which are both made from natural plants, are also good, especially for diabetics, who are told to avoid sugar. Anything natural is much better than anything artificial or synthetic. Humans are organic, NOT synthetic, so we should not consume anything artificial. Our bodies weren’t made to ingest anything synthetic, so our bodies don’t know how to excrete these artificial products. The accumulation of these harmful substances in our organs, muscles, and tissue causes illness and disease. So, doesn’t it make good sense to use only natural products? They’re a lot healthier for us and worth any inconvenience in order to avoid becoming sick.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?
DCG: Absolutely! If someone is interested in becoming healthier or wants to lose weight, I always tell them to drink water…and lots of it! Our bodies cannot properly function without water and keeping hydrated will help us to stay healthy. Water is essential to life! Nothing on this planet can survive without water, especially us.
Drinking tap water is not suggested though. With all of the chemicals in tap water, such as chlorine and fluoride, not to mention medication that municipal filtration systems cannot eliminate, it is necessary to drink filtered water. I suggest that folks get water purification systems put in their homes. Although these may seem expensive, they are worth every penny.
Today, millions of Americans drink bottled water, especially if they don’t like the taste of tap water. Unfortunately, many water-bottling companies are flavoring their water with artificial sweeteners and coloring them with chemical dyes. It’s ludicrous to me that anyone would want to drink water with these unhealthy chemicals.
Dr. Cindy Gale's resource recommendations:
Books
Blaylock, Russell, MD. Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills. Health Press, 1996.
ISBN 0929173252
Trudeau, Kevin. Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You To Know About. Alliance Publishing, 2005. ISBN 0975599518
Gale, Cindy, MD. How to be Healthy In An Unhealthy World. Coming soon!
Links
http://www.drcindygale.com
The World Natural Health Organization
http://www.wnho.org
http://www.russellblaylockmd.com
Documentaries
Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454639/
The Future of Food
http://www.thefutureoffood.com
An Inconvenient Truth
http://www.climatecrisis.net
If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you.
michele.thorne@metromint.com.
