What Sugar Does to Your Body

Published October 18th, 2015 in the State Journal

As fall approaches, so does the seasonal weather and holidays. Haunted houses, carving pumpkins and eating candy are an integral part of Halloween for our kids. These bring back memories from my childhood, as I am sure it does for you as well. Now that I am a healthcare provider, Halloween has a new meaning to me. Let me explain why.

One of the most common conditions that we see in America is called Metabolic Syndrome. This syndrome consists of obesity, elevated blood sugar, elevated triglycerides, elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure. Do you have Metabolic Syndrome? – If you have three of these five symptoms then yes, you do. This is a lifestyle induced syndrome that we help people manage by teaching them how to change their lifestyle. This condition usually starts out with a patient having elevated blood insulin levels, which tells us that he or she has insulin resistance. Metabolic Syndrome is a gateway syndrome to many other diseases later in life. Let’s give our children a chance to avoid one of the most prolific syndromes in America. One of the best ways to avoid “Met Syn” is to avoid sugar. In this article I will discuss what sugar will do to your body when over-consumed in the quantities that we eat it. Over the last 100 years our consumption of sugar has doubled; and since 1800 it has risen from less than 5 pounds a year to about 200 pounds per person per year!

One of the most important things to remember is that sugar is a quick source of energy, not only for us, but also harmful yeast, fungus and cancer that may be in our body. Believe it or not, we all have yeast and cancer cells in our bodies! Do not give them what they need to win the battle for your health. I am in no way whatsoever advocating the use of artificial sweeteners, for anyone. These toxins are a topic for another time. Refined sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup are sweeteners included in almost all processed foods. Studies show that sugar and cocaine have very similar effects on the brain and both are chemically addictive. As if that is not bad enough, sugar plagues our bodies with degeneration. This degeneration ultimately comes from the inflammation that sugar causes within the body. Too much sugar in the blood can cause macular degeneration in the eyes which may lead to blindness. Diabetic neuropathy is a something that we hear about often. This is when the nerves are damaged from having too much sugar in the bloodstream. Do you suffer from joint pain? Well cutting down on the processed foods (sugar) may help significantly with joint pain. Remember, sugar is inflammatory and can degrade your joints!
Always be sure to read the ingredient labels, “sugar” comes in many forms. Avoid “white four” or “bleached flour” because this is essentially sugar. Maltodextrin is another common ingredient that should be avoided. High Fructose Corn Syrup is a man-made sugar, consisting mostly of fructose from corn. This may be even worse than refined sugar. The fructose is harmful to the liver in this processed state and this concoction has been shown in many cases to contain heavy metal contaminants. Heavy metals destroy our organs slowly and lead to disease. The reason that HFCS is used in our foods is because it is sweeter than sugar and costs less to produce. Do your body a favor and avoid this. Halloween is around the corner and so is the candy! It is important that children grow up understanding “moderation”. Too often I see patients that live on soda (sugar), processed foods (sugar) and candy/cakes/desserts (sugar). These are coincidently the least healthy people that I know. Encourage children to eat melon and fruit as a tasty treat. If we limit the amount of sugar kids consume (remember it acts like cocaine in the brain) they will appreciate healthier sweets as snacks. Candy should be limited to certain occasions, like Halloween. This may take time to get accustom to, but you and your children will live healthier lives by reducing this “drug” in your diet.
-Dr. Ryan Zeronis, DC

Dr. Zeronis is a Frankfort chiropractor at Align Your Spine Chiropractic. He and his associate, Dr. Dayna Socha, DC, operate a wellness center that is “beyond chiropractic”. These doctors utilize therapeutic nutritional protocols to manage many common ailments and have a far reaching patient base with sports and athletic performance as an emphasis. It is not uncommon for patients to drive from other states to seek their unique approach.

Are all nutritional supplements the same quality?

Not all supplements are created equal. This sounds so obvious when you read it.
Some tennis shoes, tools, clothing and yes, supplements are superior to others.
We know this and yet many people still choose to go to the local Mart, pharmacy or supplement shop and buy nutritional products in hopes of bolstering their health.

What if some companies (theoretically of course) lied about the potency or absorption of their ingredients? (Not that most even test them!)
What if ingredients that claimed to be organic or vegetarian were in fact, not at all? (Not that they even check the sources!)
What if these ingredients did not absorb at all and you literally defecated your money away? (Not that they care!)
Worse yet, what if they did absorb into the blood and were contaminated or dangerous compounds?
It happens. Often.

Example: Fish Oil – Amazing benefits if the product is not contaminated with mercury, oil extraction chemicals, or  rancid oil from the heat generated during extraction of the oil. How do you know that you are not poisoning yourself daily?

The answer is transparent! Transparency is key to honesty, and some companies are transparent.
The supplement manufacturer must be GMP Certified (Good Manufacturing Practices) at a minimum!

My manufacturer of choice is TRIPLE certified. With guidelines so strict that the purity is ensured by European standards, not just American. These products can be sold around the world.
Each new product clinically tested on humans prior to sale. Each batch of product is tested in-house (which I would NOT trust) and 3rd party tested by OUTSIDE labs to ensure purity (which I do trust).

The facilities are inspected and certified to meet strict guidelines beyond FDA standards.
Not only that but the even the ingredient suppliers are inspected and have guidelines that they must follow.
An example of this is that peanut protein bars must be made in a separate facility, and employees in non-allergen facilities may not handle or consume peanuts Mon-Fri to further reduce risk of contamination.

Example: Do you know what strain (not species) of bacteria is in your probiotic? Why not?  They can mutate with each batch.
If it is not listed (and proven) then you have no idea what you are putting into your body.

This is from the NSF’s website: GMP Registration
“Good manufacturing practices (GMPs) are guidelines that provide a system of processes, procedures and documentation to assure a product has the identity, strength, composition, quality and purity that appear on its label. These GMP requirements are listed in Section 8 of NSF/ANSI 173 which is the only accredited American National Standard in the dietary supplement industry developed in accordance with the FDA’s 21 CFR part 111.

NSF International’s GMP Registration Program enables manufacturers to become independently registered by NSF to meet GMP requirements. The program is open not just to manufacturers of dietary supplements but also to manufacturers of ingredients and raw materials, as well as distribution, warehousing and packaging companies, who want to demonstrate their commitment to public safety.”

Supplements are a huge benefit to us because our diets lack in nutrients. However, I encourage you to do your research. Otherwise your wasting your money…and you’re health.
I am confident in what I put in my body because it is safe, pure and effective.
What else could I ask for?