Free Image Courtesy of FrrDigitalPhotos.net

The connection between sugar and Alzheimer’s can not be disputed.

The New Scientist Magazine, September 3, 2012 issue explains the sugar-Alzheimer’s link as the condition by which our muscle, fat, and liver cells stop responding to insulin.

The cells no longer metabolize glucose properly thereby leading to insulin resistance or pre-diabetes.

This, then causes the pancreas to produce excess amounts of insulin even as excess glucose builds up in the blood causing insulin spikes which overwhelm the brain.

Insulin also regulates neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, which are crucial for memory and learning and is also important for the function and growth of blood vessels, which supply oxygen and glucose to the brain.

There’s also research tying brain dysfunction directly to excess sugar consumption. In a 2012 study, UCLA scientists fed rats a heavy ration of fructose (which makes up roughly a half of both table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup) and noted both insulin resistance and impaired brain function within six weeks. Interestingly, they found both insulin function and brain performance to improve in the sugar-fed rats when they were also fed omega-3 fatty acids. In other words, another quirk of the American diet, deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids, seems to make us more vulnerable to the onslaught of sweets.

Another facet of our diets, lots of cheap added fats, may also trigger insulin problems and brain dysfunction. New Scientist flags yet another recent study, this one from University of Washington researchers, finding that rats fed a high-fat diet for a year lost their ability to regulate insulin, developed diabetes, and showed signs of brain deterioration.

Government subsidies of corn and sugar have made these commodities incredibly inexpensive for the food industry which puts sweeteners in almost everything we eat.

This, at the same time Alzheimer’s costs $200 billion a year in health care alone.

The U.S. government has declared a mandate to find a cure for Alzheimer’s by 2025.

Cheap sugar comes at a very high price, indeed.

This is a small victory for consumers who, finally aware of the dangers of high fructose corn syrup, will continue to be able to identify it in the products they buy.

Michael M. Landa, director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the F.D.A., denied the petition, saying that the term “sugar” is used only for food “that is solid, dried and crystallized.”

“HFCS is an aqueous solution sweetener derived from corn after enzymatic hydrolysis of cornstarch, followed by enzymatic conversion of glucose (dextrose) to fructose,” the letter stated. “Thus, the use of the term ‘sugar’ to describe HFCS, a product that is a syrup, would not accurately identify or describe the basic nature of the food or its characterizing properties.”

The Corn Refiners Association is afraid that consumers will avoid the product, which has received a bad reputation, under the pretext of “false information”, namely that corn syrup is natural and is the same as sugar.

The fact is that it is NOT natural , it is manufactured in a lab and can harm to people who can not properly metabolize the ingredient.

And further, to argue that HFCS is the same as sugar only calls into question the efficacy of sugar in the human diet.

There are many who would postulate that there already exists an overabundance of sugar which is causing obesity and Type 2 diabetes in epidemic proportions.

A battle wages for your “sweet tooth“.

Big corn manufactures are spending tens of millions of dollars to re-brand high fructose corn syrup.

Sugar makers say the corn industry is making a desperate effort to salvage the product which consumers are increasingly avoiding.

“The most widely used kind of HFCS may have disruptive effects on metabolism, as the body doesn’t utilize fructose well. In fact, regular consumption of HFCS may contribute to obesity.”

The National Consumers League has sent a letter urging the FDA to reject the renaming petition and noted that the corn sweetener in question “has received much negative publicity over the last several years.”

“Questions have been raised concerning potential links to obesity and a variety of obesity-related health conditions including diabetes and heart disease,” the letter said.

“Some consumers are concerned about emerging science regarding nutrition and health effects of HFCS, while others simply want to avoid highly processed sweeteners in favor of more natural substances.”

All sugars should be consumed in moderation and are best consumed in the form of whole foods such as fruits with the skin intact.

As if we needed more reasons to avoid meat; salmonella poisoning, e-coli, antibiotic resistant bacteria and HCG, to name a few, add a risk of type 2 diabetes to the list.

Type 2 diabetes is at epidemic levels in the U.S raising many questions about the American diet.

Critics aside, some serious evaluation is necessary.

Healthcare costs from treating diabetes alone is in the billions and growing.

No comprehensive national healthcare policy can exist without a comprehensive national food policy!

Read the whole article to learn more.

Type 2 diabetes is linked with obesity. It occurs when they body does not produce enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells do not use insulin properly. Insulin helps the body use glucose or blood sugar for energy. When blood sugar remains elevated with diabetes, complications such as heart disease, blindness, and nerve and kidney damage can occur.

In the study, participants who ate one 3.5-ounce serving of non-processed red meat a day, such as steak or hamburger, were almost 20% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

Those who ate half of this amount of processed meat, such as two slices of bacon or one hot dog, had a 51% increased risk for developing diabetes.

Gastritis, which is inflammation of the abdominal lining, could cause abdominal pain, gas and a bloated-ness, feelings of nausea, vomiting and perhaps a burning.

You will want to avoid highly acidic foods such as citrus juices or tomato based food products (eg. spaghetti, pizza).

You should also avoid alcohol & smoking, caffeine, and any spicy/highly seasoned foods.

Try eating smaller more frequent meals (or snacks) rather than the typical 3 large meals a day.

Some foods are not good for an upset stomach. Foods that are high in fat, contain fiber, are spicy and are greasy can cause further gastric complications. Avoid dairy products if you are actively vomiting or have diarrhea. Do not eat or drink foods or beverages that contain alcohol or caffeine, because these substances can promote dehydration. Avoid black pepper, chili powder, chocolate, carbonated beverages, fried foods, acidic fruit juices such as orange juice, broccoli, corn, onions, cabbage and cheese. Avoid eating large amounts of food.