Bookmarked: 0
What diseases does sugar cause?
Why do we have so many obese people suffering from serious illnesses, including diabetes?
According to statistics, 40℅ people on the globe have this disease, and the number of such patients is growing exponentially.
Russia is in 4th place in the number of patients with diabetes and obesity. This is especially dangerous for children who have been accustomed to sweets since childhood and all metabolic processes in their bodies are completely disrupted.
A terrifying figure: 42 million preschoolers in Russia are already obese! And each Russian consumes on average 40 kg of sugar per year, that is, 1 kg per week (that’s 15 teaspoons per day)!
In America, for example, sugar consumption has tripled and the American Heart Association has recommended strict consumption standards: for women - 6 teaspoons per day, for men - 9.
In the 20th century, Dr. William Martin generally called sugar “sweet poison”; it is a dead product that leads to serious illnesses and shortens human life.
And in 1970, British psychologist and nutritionist John Yutkin published the book “Clean, White, Deadly,” in which he predicted an epidemic of obesity and coronary heart disease due to an increase in the amount of sugar in human food.
He emphasizes that sugar is processed in the liver in the same way as alcohol and causes 8 serious problems, such as high blood pressure, liver dysfunction, high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity, pancreatitis, diabetes and addiction as with alcohol and drug addiction , which is called “sugar addiction”.
How does sugar addiction occur?
And the scheme here is this: sugar is a fast carbohydrate, when it enters the bloodstream, it is immediately absorbed and the glucose level rapidly rises, BUT!
The trap is that after a certain period of time this level decreases and attacks of hunger attack the person again and again.
It's like a vicious circle: the body is addicted to sweets, it requires more and more sugar. It's called a sugar swing.
Scientists at Princeton University have proven that our body considers sweet foods a drug, just like cocaine, but sugar addiction grows 8 times faster than cocaine addiction! And although official medicine does not recognize that sugar is a real drug, in reality it is.
Sugar ranks first in the ranking of popular products. Yes, our body needs it as a source of energy - this is its main purpose. Its glycemic index is very high - 399 kcal per 100 g of product, which makes it unhealthy.
Sugar composition:
- Proteins - 0 g;
- Fats - 0 g;
- Carbohydrates - 99.8 g;
- Water - 0.1 g.
Eight facts about the dangers of sugar
First:
Sugar tends to weaken the human skeletal system, easily leaching calcium from the body, which increases the risk of fractures (osteoporosis). The fact is that to absorb sugar, the human body spends a large amount of calcium from human bones. Tooth enamel also deteriorates and caries develops, and sugar is to blame. Once in the oral cavity, a high level of acid is produced, which negatively affects the condition of the teeth.
Second:
Sugar leads to obesity, as already mentioned, it causes a false feeling of hunger, a person overeats and gains extra pounds. This happens because the cells are completely busy processing carbohydrates, but they no longer have time to process fats; they remain, accumulating in the body.
Third:
Sugar leads to disruptions in the cardiovascular system: muscular dystrophy of the heart occurs, the walls of blood vessels become inflamed, blood clots form, which can block the vessels at any time, which is directly related to strokes and heart attacks.
Fourth:
Sugar is considered a “stress food”: after the production of serotonin - the hormone of joy - the mood temporarily rises, the tone of the nervous system increases, breathing quickens (the key word is temporary) and, as a paradox, the reverse process starts: this is followed by depression, chronic fatigue, dizziness, worsening vision and sleep, a state of internal tension and devastation appears.
Fifth:
Sugar reduces immunity by 17 times. When sugar accumulates in large quantities in the body, the immune system malfunctions, metabolism is disrupted, internal organs work under wear and tear, and a person often gets sick.
Sixth:
The skin of those with a sweet tooth ages catastrophically due to the fact that sugar is deposited in collagen fibers (this is the basis of skin tissue) in reserve and the skin quickly loses its elasticity and wrinkles ahead of time.
Seventh:
Recent studies have shown a scary thing: cancer cells feed on sugar! And this was proven by the German scientist Otto Warburg, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1933. With the help of sugar, cell mutation occurs and glucose is directly related to the development of cancerous tumors. Sugar and white bread are the fuel that fuels the growth of cancer cells. In addition: the more insulin in the blood, the weaker the effect of chemotherapy on the patient.
All this once again confirms how dangerous sugar is to health.
One of the articles publishes catastrophic data on sugar - these are 76 serious blows to human health. Our ancestors did not know sugar, and we began to consume sugar 40 times more than they did.
The famous doctor and nutritionist Alexey Kovalkov wrote: Before this millennium, people did not know what sugar was and they lived well, great thinkers, philosophers, generals were born - all this was without sugar.
It was sugar that changed the course of history - sugar created America, where slaves were brought in droves to grow sugar cane. Remember "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
Now the American sugar hater R. Lustig is proving that we all have an overdose of sugar: in supermarkets, 80% of products contain sugar.
The food industry is thriving: it loves sugar, because it is the simplest and cheapest preservative - it increases the shelf life of products. In addition, it has a strong addictive effect (stronger than heroin), and in combination with fat (donuts, ice cream) it kills us.
Think about it and take care of your health.
297 years ago, in June 1720, the country's first sugar factory opened in St. Petersburg. The idea of creating such a production belonged to Peter the Great. The enterprise grew up on what is now the Vyborg embankment, not far from the state pier, which received foreign ships. This place was called the Sugar Yard for a long time. Since then, the sweet delicacy has become available to ordinary people, whereas previously only the highest nobility tried it.
The homeland of sugar is India, where it was traditionally made from sugar cane. At first, for the production of sweets in Russia, raw materials were imported from abroad. However, in 1747, the German chemist Andreas Marggraf discovered that sugar, which had previously been obtained from sugar cane, was also found in sugar beets. The discovery quickly found application in Europe, and later, at the beginning of the 19th century, in Russia.
Today, this product has many labels attached to it. On the one hand, with the words “sweet” and “sugar” we designate positive and pleasant phenomena and objects. On the other hand, we call sugar “sweet death.” the site has collected several interesting and little-known facts about him.
Initially, people in Russia ate sugar made from sugar cane. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Sugar addiction is similar to drug addiction
“I can’t live without sweets!” some people with a sweet tooth exclaim and, oddly enough, there is not much exaggeration in their words. Sugar can truly cause severe chemical addiction. Moreover, it is explained not only by psychological aspects, but also by the chemical and biological characteristics of the human body.
The fact is that sugar causes the release of insulin into the blood, and a person experiences a feeling close to euphoria. However, the feeling of pleasure and satiety quickly passes, and again you want more. Sweets are addictive to serotonin and dopamine, which are produced by the body when they are consumed. It is these two hormones that improve your mood. And the more often a person eats desserts, the greater his dependence on the state of happiness caused by these hormones.
By the way, experiments on rats have shown that the changes produced by sugar in the brain are very similar to those that occur under the influence of cocaine, morphine or nicotine.
Sugar can be good for you
So, it is a powerful antiseptic. Sugar kills germs, promotes wound healing, and destroys pathogenic microorganisms. For example, if you make a bandage with sugar on a wound, the sore spot will be protected not only from bacteria, but also from the appearance of excess moisture. And healing will happen faster.
Sugar can be used for more than just food
Sugar doesn't have to be in coffee or baked goods. It is useful in the household and for completely non-food purposes. For example, it has long established itself as an excellent fertilizer for indoor plants. To prepare a nutrient solution, you need to dilute 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sugar in 0.5 liters of water. You should water your flowers with it no more than once a month. You can do it even simpler - sprinkle sugar on the soil in a flower pot and then water it.
Hard-to-remove “greasy” stains on clothes can be easily removed with sugar and soap. To do this, you need to hold the stained area under running hot water, and then thoroughly soap it with a piece of laundry soap until a large amount of foam forms on the surface of the fabric. Then we rub it with our hands, and after a while we pour about a teaspoon of sugar on top. Three, as when washing, only without water. Then leave the item alone for 10-15 minutes and rinse well with water.
You can also get rid of the unpleasant odor in an old coffee grinder and spice jars using sugar. Just pour granulated sugar into a container, leave it for half an hour, and then rinse well under running water - it will perfectly absorb all the unpleasant aromas.
By the way, sugar is also used in a bottom anti-landing mine, which is installed at the bottom of a reservoir. The fuse in the device is made of pressed sugar. Having installed such a mine, they open the lid that blocked the water from accessing the plug. After a couple of hours, the sugar plug will dissolve and the weapon will be cocked, this eliminates the danger of being blown up during installation.
Sugar is also used in the production of plastics, leather, pharmaceutical, tobacco and other non-food industries.
Monuments dedicated to sugar
Monument to refined sugar. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
The first monument to sugar was erected in 2003 in the Czech Republic (the city of Dačica).
The monument was opened in honor of the 160th anniversary of the invention of refined sugar. It was in this country that they came up with a way to press sweet powder into convenient cubes; this was done by the manager of the sugar factory in Dačice, the Swiss Jacob Christoph Rad in 1843. He also received a patent with a license for the production of lump sugar.
The monument was installed on the site where the sugar factory used to be and is a snow-white, shiny cube with polished edges, symbolizing refined sugar, placed on a pedestal made of gray granite.
A similar monument appeared in 2009 in Moscow. It was installed to mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Danilovsky Sugar Refinery. The monument is located in the park on the territory of the Krasnopresnensky sugar refinery.
Sugar substitutes are far from harmless
Often people, giving up sugar for reasons of a healthy lifestyle, begin to lean on its substitutes. This often also leads to problems. Some of them, for example, saccharin, contain carcinogenic substances and can also cause exacerbation of cholelithiasis.
The popular aspartame does not have thermal stability and, in hot weather, breaks down into carcinogenic formaldehyde, methanol and toxic phenylalanine. The slightest excess of the dose causes dizziness, nausea, indigestion, allergies, and insomnia. It also increases appetite.
Suclamate can cause allergic skin diseases, and xylitol can provoke the development of bladder cancer. So, experts advise, it's better to eat more fruits that contain fructose. Honey is also useful. And if you really want a sugar-based dessert, eat it for your health! In reasonable quantities it will not harm you.
There are probably no people who don't like sugar. It is interesting to find out what sugar is, how it is useful, and maybe dangerous for our body. We have selected interesting facts for you that relate to sugar.
In the Czech Republic there is a monument to sugar, or more precisely, refined sugar; it was the Czechs who were the first to come up with the idea of pressing sugar into cubes.
The second famous monument to refined sugar was opened in 2010 in the city of Sumy in Ukraine on the 355th anniversary of the city.
- All confectionery products (sweets, cookies, pies, ice cream and much more), as well as drinks (Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola and others) contain a huge amount of sugar, up to 90%.
- Sugar is produced from both cane and sugar beets. But the interesting thing is that cane sugar is yellowish in color, and it is a little healthier than beet sugar, since the body absorbs it faster and easier.
- It is interesting that scientists are ambivalent about the benefits of sugar. Some insist that when a person consumes sugar, a hormone of happiness is produced, and such people in life are cheerful, smiling, and friendly. Another point of view is based on the fact that sugar in large quantities has a detrimental effect on the human pancreas and liver.
- It is also useful to know that sugar is somewhat addictive. There is even an opinion that sugar is to a certain extent a “drug”, in the good sense of the word.
- They have learned to make fuel for cars from sugar, and what’s most interesting is that batteries in which sugar plays the role of an electrolyte are expected to be released soon.
- As you know, doctors recommend giving babies water in which sugar is slightly diluted; this is done so that sucrose gets into the baby’s brain, thereby stimulating the child’s mental development.
- According to astronomers, particles with properties similar to sugar have been discovered in space.
- Sugar is included in many medicines.
- There is no fat in sugar, therefore, it does not affect a person’s fatness.
Romantic, hot and borderless, this desert has always captivated the hearts of people. She tends to be beautiful and captivating and at the same time terrible and dangerous, so she will always arouse keen interest. This is a real miracle of nature, which hides many secrets and mysteries in its sands. So let's find out in more detail the most interesting facts about this wonderful place.
It is at least surprising how people, animals and plants were able to adapt so well to such conditions, the sultry heat, which simply drives you crazy, sandstorms, cold nights, and lack of water.
Surely many people know that this is the largest desert on Earth. It is located in northern Africa, and occupies 30% of its total area, which can almost be compared with the entire territory of the United States. The total area of the desert is 8.6 million km. The length of the desert from west to east is 4900 km, from north to south to 900-1300 km. In the west, the Sahara touches the Atlas Mountains and is washed by the Mediterranean Sea, in the east it is the Red Sea, and in the south is the Sahel. 
The desert extends through countries such as: Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Chad, Mauritania and others, a total of 13 countries.
The local population calls this place “The Sea without Water”, since previously there was a huge lake and many tropical forests on the territory of this place, and all this is due to the fact that the Sahara Desert is rocky, so many underground rivers pass under the sand, which, when released out, form oasis. Moreover, such underground rivers, in area comparable to Lake Baikal, are mostly used for irrigation; such systems were known back in Ancient Egypt. They specially dug channels perpendicular to the river, some of which converged into one body of water, and then distributed it on the soil. 
But even now, in the middle of the desert, you can find oases that are surrounded by unique vegetation, and this is where people settle, building entire settlements and even cities. But year after year there are fewer and fewer such places.
Even though there is virtually no water here, people live here. more than 3 million people. Most of them, of course, lead a nomadic lifestyle, moving from one place to another, usually near the Nile and Niger rivers, where at least some plants are present. The majority of people living here are Tuaregs and Berbers. 
This place for us is primarily sands and dunes. But what’s most interesting is that the sands make up only a fifth of the entire area, the thickness of the sands is almost 160 meters. Sands are constantly swept into dunes, thereby forming dunes that can reach a height of up to 180 meters, which is actually the height of the Eiffel Tower.
There is so much sand in the Sahara that all the people who live on Earth would have to scoop up sand with the help of ordinary wind, it would be necessary to carry more than 3 million buckets.
Most of the desert is occupied by mountain peaks, although it is difficult to call them peaks, this is about 70%, the rest is made up of pebble wastelands, where nothing can grow at all, because it is rocky soil and also salt marshes. 
Previously, it was assumed that the Sahara arose several million years ago, but the latest findings of scientists indicate the opposite and its age is only 2.7 thousand years.
As for the temperature, it’s just real hell here, the average air temperature ranges from 55 to 60 degrees Celsius, in winter the temperature drops to 30 and below, which is quite typical for a change in time. We have this temperature in the summer, and they have it in the winter.
The climate here is completely oriented towards northeast trade wind, so there are often sand storms here that can reach Europe. In the north the climate is dry, subtropical, in the south it is tropical and also dry.
Back in the last century, a huge reservoir called was created here due to the overflow of one nearby lake. 
Rain in the Sahara is a real holiday, but this is not enough, because the raindrops do not even have time to irrigate the ground and evaporate before reaching the ground. Here evaporation is several times higher than precipitation, and that’s all because no more than 20 millimeters of precipitation falls here.
But even so, it may not rain for several years, and then at one point there will be a brutal downpour that will last for several days. One day, or rather in 1879 and 2013, snow fell on the territory of Algeria. 
One of the truly unique and mysterious anomalies of this place is mirages; almost everyone who traveled across the Sahara observed unexpectedly emerging oases with a pond and plants, visually it seemed 2-3 kilometers from the observer. All this occurs due to the refraction of the flow of light at the edge between layers of air of different density and temperature.
In total, over 150 thousand mirages were seen in sugar; special maps were even created, where places where such anomalies were observed were plotted.
And finally, let's talk about the animal world, there are almost all of them here. 4000 different animal species. Such as camels, which can go without water for two weeks, or even without food for up to a month, but at one time they can drink almost 80 liters of water.
This is the smallest representative of the cat family, only 50 to 80 cm in length and half of the length is the tail. 
Which is capable of going without food for 2 months. 
Tiny fox. 
Very fast and hardy animals that can go without water for a long time, but now this species is facing complete extinction. 
Well, the vegetation here numbers no more than 1,200 species, almost all of them are xerophytes and ephemerals. In particular, rocky areas seem completely lifeless, but even here plants manage to adapt to such a harsh habitat.
The rose of Jericho looks like the branches of a plant are fingers that squeeze the seeds; when it rains, the branches straighten and the seeds fall out and a damp bud, where they immediately take root.
In fact, for any plant in this desert, one drop of water is enough to germinate.
Sugar tastes great and also fills the body with energy. It is present even in those products that do not seem sweet to you at all. There are many facts associated with it that many people believe, although the truth is much more complex and interesting. If you want to delve deeper into this topic, here are common facts about sugar that are false.
Sugar causes diabetes
People with diabetes do try to control their blood sugar levels, but it is a symptom of the disease, not a cause. Type 1 diabetes is caused by the immune system attacking the liver cells that produce insulin. This process has no connection with sugar. Type 2 diabetes results from a combination of genetics and lifestyle. Some people inherit certain genetic traits from their parents that increase their risk of developing diabetes. This does not mean that illness is inevitable, just that it is more likely. If a person is overweight, doesn't exercise enough, and eats unhealthy foods, the problem becomes even more likely. Eating a lot of sugar will definitely affect your weight, but so will eating bacon or pizza, or sitting on the couch instead of going for a walk. Type 2 diabetes has many causes, so sugar is just one of them. There is no point in fearing only sweets; you should take comprehensive measures to protect your health. 
Sweets cause hyperactivity
This is a very famous myth that is used all the time: a large amount of sugar makes children uncontrollable and hyperactive. In a sense, this is logical, because consuming sugar provides the body with energy. However, this is not entirely true. Just because processes occur simultaneously does not mean that they are interconnected. For example, if at a holiday children dress up, run around and eat candy, they are indeed extremely active, but because of emotions. It turns out that most children do not behave differently after eating sweets. In addition, when children are told that sugar makes them hyperactive, they begin to behave accordingly - expectations greatly influence behavior. Therefore, you should forget about mentioning this myth as soon as possible, because it will help improve the behavior of children. 
Brown sugar is healthier than white sugar
When you're trying to eat healthy, you'll probably learn that brown sugar is healthier than white sugar. It's understandable why people think this way, but it's still a mistake. It just seems that brown is less processed, but in fact the production process is often identical. The only difference is that molasses is present in the composition, but it is added after processing. This makes it easier to control the quality and consistency of the product. Of course, molasses contains a variety of minerals, but this is not enough to talk about health benefits. Moreover, brown sugar contains more calories than white sugar, making it even worse for your figure. 
Sugar makes cancer grow faster
There is a theory that tumors develop faster due to sugar consumption, since all cells feed on it. However, food actually has no effect on tumor growth. There is evidence that an unhealthy diet with a lot of sweets can lead to various diseases, but it cannot speed up their progress, so there is no point in being afraid of desserts. 
Sweets cause tooth decay
Dessert does not speed up the decay of your teeth; it is the acid in the mouth that causes tooth decay. Yes, it is produced by bacteria that feed on sugar, but they also consume carbohydrates, therefore, even grains and fruits are a source of danger. You should watch out for plaque, which occurs when acid combines with saliva. If you do not continually remove plaque, your teeth will become vulnerable. Remember that the acid remains in your mouth for thirty minutes after eating, so it's not how much chocolate you eat that matters, but whether you eat it in one sitting or spread it out throughout the day. In the latter case, you will be creating a thirty-minute hazard throughout the day, and your dentist will thank you for creating work for him. 
Natural sugars are healthier than processed ones
If you eat an apple, add honey to your tea, or drink coffee with a spoonful of granulated sugar, your body receives the same substances - fructose and glucose. They are extremely similar in all products, so it makes no difference whether your sugar is natural or processed. The only difference is that fruits also contain fiber, and there is much less sugar. However, the substance itself is absolutely identical. 
Sugar is suitable for vegetarians
Sugar is made from cane or beets, so it is logical to assume that it is a plant product. In fact, this is not true: it all depends on where exactly your sugar was produced. It is quite possible that it is not even suitable for vegetarians. If you eat sugar made from beets, the juice is simply processed and mixed with additives to form crystals. Reed requires a lot of effort, it is also filtered. Typically, filtration is carried out using bone charcoal, which occurs when animal bones are burned. Cane sugar is not always made this way, but you can’t tell by the packaging. 
Sugar is addictive
Experiments have shown that the part of the brain that works when receiving pleasure is activated when sugar enters the body, more intensely than when using drugs. However, this does not mean that sweets are seriously addictive. Often people really want sugar, and for the sake of it they refuse healthy food, but this does not mean addiction. Addiction manifests itself in different ways, from constant cravings to withdrawal symptoms in the absence of a necessary substance in the body. Most people who love sweets do not experience these symptoms. In addition to food, people are programmed to derive pleasure from sex, however, only a few percent of the population is addicted to it.