By Dean L. Jones
A small number of medical professionals still practice that eating too much processed sugar does not specifically cause type-2 diabetes. On the other hand, the entire medical community practices that type-1 diabetes is genetic and triggered by unknown causes, and type-2 diabetes is caused by genetics and lifestyle factors.
Even though the specific nature of whether or not processed sugar can cause type-2 diabetes remains an important debate, there is full agreement that being overweight can be developed from eating a lot of processed sugar and that added weight raises the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
Consequently, considerably reducing the risk of contracting type-2 diabetes begins with cutting out sugary filled beverages. The reason is simply that such beverages provide little in the way of nutrition, making them a top source of empty calories. Recent studies report that consuming beverages sweetened with low, medium, or high amounts of high-fructose corn syrup increased risk factors for heart disease within two weeks.
Of course it is not just sugary beverages as the average American eats and drinks 22 teaspoons (almost half a cup) of added sugar each day. The American Heart Association recommends not consuming more than 6 teaspoons of processed sugar per day for women and 9 teaspoons for men. On labels, the amount of sugar is listed in grams and a teaspoon of sugar is about 4-grams of sugar.
It has been ten years since I have chased the need to consume sugary foodstuff. But for those who do it is good to know that Stevia sweeteners are made from the leaf of the stevia plant and can be as much as 300 times sweeter than regular sugar, with zero calories. It still has to be processed to make the sweetener, so questionably it is not necessarily all natural.
A reason why I mentioned the situation of chasing a sweet taste is real as science has proof that humans from birth are hardwired to prefer sweet tastes. Sugars are a type of carbohydrate (carbs), and when we eat carbs they stimulate the release of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin. Most brain cells are influenced in some way by serotonin, including mood, sexual function, sleep, memory and learning, and appetite.
Shortly, science will fully agree that consuming too much processed sugar may negatively affect the mind and body. There is more proof of health problems associated with type-2 diabetes in that it runs a high risk of contracting dementia symptoms. There are a number studies showing how diabetes ages the human brain about five years faster than normal. This means that a person diagnosed with diabetes in their fifties is significantly heightened to run the risk for mental decline by the time they reach their seventies. This kind of brain atrophy contributes to dementia; accordingly it is overwhelmingly necessary to live SugarAlert!
www.SugarAlert.com
Dean Jones is an Ethics Advocate, Southland Partnership Corporation (a public benefit organization), contributing his view on certain aspects of foodstuff.
