The average Englishman and American consumes between 150-170 pounds of sugar per year. It is said for every American that only consumes 5 pounds of sugar each year, there is one who eats 295 pounds!
In 1957 Dr William Coda Martin was considering: “When is a food a food and when is it a poison?” His working medical definition of poison was “Any substance applied to the body which causes or may cause disease. Physically: Any substance which inhibits the activity of a catalyst (which is a minor substance chemical or enzyme that activates a reaction).
Dr Martin classified refined sugar as a poison because it has been depleted of its life forces, vitamins and minerals. Without the presence of these important vitamins and minerals the body struggles to utilize the refined sugar, which interferes with normal digestion, metabolism and elimination. As a result, Pyruvic acid accumulates in the brain and nervous system and the abnormal sugars accumulate in the red blood cells. These metabolites interfere with the respiration of cells; these oxygen deprived cells fail to function correctly and over time this results in the death of cells. This interferes with the functioning of that particular part of the body (where the cells are dying) and is the beginning of degenerative disease.
Continuous intake of sugar results in a highly acidic environment; this is buffered through the resorption of minerals from the body tissues (such as bones and teeth). In order to protect the blood so much calcium is taken from the bones and teeth that decay and general weakening begin. Excess sugar eventually affects every organ in the body.
An excess of sugar will be stored in the liver in the form of glucose (glycogen), but too much will make the liver expand as it reaches maximum capacity. At this point excess glycogen is returned to the blood stream in the form of fatty acids. These fatty acids are then taken to the areas of the body where the fat cells are located – belly, bum, breasts and thighs. When these areas are full, the fatty acids are then distributed amongst the active organs (heart, liver and kidneys). The end result is a degeneration of organ tissues as they turn to fat and ultimately, abnormally high blood pressure.
Ingesting processed sugars without adequate amounts of quality proteins, fats and vitamins and enzymes will result in elevated blood sugar levels and the secretion of insulin; a regulatory hormone which rapidly reduces blood sugar levels. The problem here is; the response mechanism that tells the brain your blood sugar levels have returned to normal is slow and this results in a blood sugar crash. The body responds to a blood sugar crash by releasing stress hormones, such as cortisol. Cortisol triggers the release of stored glycogen from the liver to quickly raise blood sugar levels again. At the same time, the natural reaction by you is to eat or drink something sweet. This results in high levels of blood sugar once again and the roller coaster continues! After a while, your body will become resistant to the insulin, which leads directly to the accumulation of fat around your midsection (Syndrome X) and eventually diabetes.
The constant release of insulin and cortisol due to the processed sugars results in an unbalanced and disturbed hormonal system, which leads to further problems including degenerative diseases, allergies, obesity, alcoholism, drug addiction, depression and behavioural problems. Immunity and our ability to resist disease starts to decrease as processed sugars displace the nutrient dense foods our bodies were designed to thrive on.