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The Relationship between Sugar and Inflammation
 Scientists have
long linked oedema, arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease with
inflammation. Only recently the medical community has implicated the
process to diabetes, certain cancers and other unsolvable degenerative
conditions. The latest research links heart disease more to various
inflammatory conditions than to high cholesterol. Researchers are doing
their best to come up with anti-inflammatory drugs and other cures for
this inflammation.
Rather
than try to find a cure, it might be wise to find out what causes
inflammation and stop the cause rather than look for a cure. There are
many things that cause inflammation in the body: viral and bacterial
infections, surgery, a bruise, a broken bone, allergies, vaccinations,
high blood pressure, oestrogen therapy, smoking, obesity, chronic
fatigue, and dental problems, among others.
One of the biggest
offenders of inflammation is ingestion of sugar. By sugar I mean table
sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, honey (even raw), maple
sugar, corn sweetener, dextrose, glucose, fructose and any other word
that ends in an "ose", barley malt, rice syrup, liquid cane sugar,
concentrated fruit juice and others. Don't be fooled by the name
organic when it applies to sugar. Sugar is sugar, organic or not, and
the following will explain exactly what can happen in the body when you
eat as little as two teaspoons.
Every time a
person eats as little as two teaspoons we can upset our body chemistry
and disrupt homeostasis, the wonderful balance in the body needed for
maintenance, repair and life itself. One of the many changes this upset
body chemistry causes is for our minerals to change relationship to
each other.(1)(2)
No mineral is an
island: minerals can only function in relation to each other. When one
of the mineral levels drops in the blood stream, it's a sure thing that
other minerals cannot function as well and can become toxic or
deficient.
Although calcium
and phosphorus give structure to our bodies through the formation of
bones and teeth, most minerals function primarily as catalysts in
enzyme systems within the cells and body fluids. As enzyme catalysts,
the minerals are able to help our bodies grow and maintain themselves,
regulate our body processes and supply us with energy. When there are
very slight changes from the normal mineral composition inside the
cell, this alteration may result in profound physiological
consequences, without making any appreciable difference on the total
mineral makeup of the body as a whole.(3)
One of the body
processes for which enzymes are important is digestion. Enzymes help us
break our food down into simple product which can then move easily from
the digestive tract to the bloodstream. Enzymes break down fat to fatty
acids, carbohydrates to simple sugar and protein into first,
polypeptides and then into amino acids. Unfortunately enzymes can not
function without minerals. You can deplete the enzymes when you eat
sugar. Therefore, when the enzymes cannot function well, all of the
protein in the food does not digest. This protein gets into the blood
stream as partially digested protein, or polypeptides.(4,5)
Dr William
Philpott, in his book BRAIN ALLERGIES says, "One of the most important
systemic functions of the pancreas is to supply proteolytic enzymes
(enzymes from the pancreas that aid in the digestion of proteins into
polypeptides and then amino acids) which act as regulatory mechanisms
over inflammatory reactions in the body. Poor digestion of proteins to
amino acids occurs as a consequence of insufficient pancreatic
proteolytic enzymes. As a result, unusable inflammation evoking protein
molecules are absorbed through the intestinal mucosa and circulate in
the blood, reaching tissues in partially digested form.
The medical
community rejected this concept for years. As the old saying goes,
first they ignore it, then they ridicule it, then they call it their
own. Well, that is just what they have done. They call it the leaky gut
syndrome, gut permeability and/or food allergy. As partially digested
protein molecules (peptides), the immune system, which protects us from
foreign invaders, sees these protein molecules as foreign invaders and
responds the only way it knows how with inflammation. Depending on
where this partially digested protein goes in the body, inflammation
can set in any organ or tissue.(6)
This foreign
matter, or partially digested protein, is in particles too large to be
utilized by the cells. They can not get into the cell and function.
This form of food allergy can cause havoc in our blood stream.(7) One
of the things these particles can do is cause the classic symptoms of
allergy, the inflammatory response, the runny eyes, sinusitis, sneezing
and scratchy throat.(8),(9) These particles can go to the joints,
tissues or bones and cause arthritis.(lO),(ll). They can go to the
nervous system and cause multiple sclerosis.(l2) Medical research shows
that this foreign matter can go to the skin and cause psoriasis,(13)
hives,(14), and eczema.(15) The inflammatory process takes place in all
these diseases.
 From my clinical
experience, acne and water retention also are caused by food allergy.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are also caused by undigested
protein.(16) The nonusable protein can go anywhere in the blood and
cause problems. At this time our immune system looks at this undigested
food as a foreign invader, and our immune system comes to our defence
and removes this foreign protein from our blood.(l7),(l8)
When we consume
sugar over and over, we weaken our body tissues, our white blood cells
and our immune
system.(l9),(20) Our white cells and other tissues need protein to
function optimally. The cells can not get the correct protein when it
is not digested and assimilated properly.
When our body
tissues and immune system are weak, we can not fend off foreign
invaders. Not only are we now susceptible to degenerative diseases but
also infectious diseases. Whatever infectious disease we will get
depends on what bacteria or virus is in the environment, and the
weakness in our genetic blueprint determines what tissue will be
affected and to which degenerative disease we are susceptible.
Sugar in the
amount that we eat today (over 150 lbs, or over 1/2 cup a day,)
continually upsets our body chemistry, causes the inflammatory process
and leads to disease. The less sugar you eat, the less inflammation,
and the stronger the immune system to defend us against infectious and
degenerative diseases.
So what is there
left to eat that is sweet? Lots. Whole fruits are healthy foods for
healthy people. Melons and berries have the least amount of sugar. A
glass of grape, orange or apple juice has the same amount of sugar as a
soft drink of the same ounces and is just as detrimental. So eat your
fruit whole. A mashed sweet potato is also a sweet food and is great
mixed with carob or coconut milk and grated coconut. Eat just a small
portion for a low carb diet. Some whipped cream with vanilla is a great
topper for fruits or sweet potatoes.
For more
information on sugar's detrimental affects, a great sugarfree recipe
and more on inflammation go to
www.nancyappleton.com This information came from three of Dr.
Appleton's books: STOPPING INFLAMMATION, LICK THE SUGAR HABIT and LICK
THE SUGAR HABIT SUGAR COUNTER.
Nancy Appleton, Ph.D.
References
1. Dr. Albrech, 1897, University of
Missouri, found that minerals worked in relation to each other in the
soil, then later realized that this was the same in the body.
2. Eck, Paul, Analytical Research
Lahs Inc., 2338 West Royal Palm Road, Suite F,Phoenix, Arizona, 85021.
3. Ashmead, Dewayne. CHELATED
MINERAL NUTRITION, Huntington Beach, Calif.; International Institute of
Natural Health Sciences, Inc., 1979.
4. Ratner B.G and Gruehl, H.L.
"Passage of Native Proteins through the Normal Gastrointestinal Wall".
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, 1934; 13:517.
5. Warshaw, A.L., Walker, W.A. and
K.J. Isselbacher. "Protein Uptake by the Intestine: Evidence for
Absorption of Intact Macromolecules. GASTROENTEROLOGY, 1974;;66:987
6. Philpott, W.. BRAIN ALLERGIES.
New Canaan, Conn.; Keats Publishing Inc., 1980.
7. Paganelli, R., Cavagni, G. and
Francesco Pallone. "The Role of Antigenic Absorption and Circulating
Immune Complexes in Food Allergy." ANNALS OF ALLERGY. 57;1986:330_336.
8.Taylor b., Norman A.P, Orgel H.A.
et al., "Transient IgA Deficiency and Pathogenesis of Infantile Atopy."
LANCET 1973;2:11
9. Stevens, W.J., and C.H. Bridts.
"IgG_containing and IgE_containing Circulating Immune Complexes in
Patients with Asthma and Rhinitis." JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL
IMMUNOLOGY. 1979;63:297.
10. Catteral, W.E. "Rheumatoid
Arthritis Is an Allergy." ARTHRITIS NEWS TODAY, 1980.
11. Darlington, L.G., Ramsey N.W.
and J.R. Mansfield. "Placebo_Controlled, Blind Study of Dietary
Manipulation Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis." LANCET, Feb. 6, l986.
236_238.
12. Jones, H.D., "Management of
Multiple Sclerosis." POSTGRADUATE MEDICINE. May 1952;2:415_422.
13. Douglas, J.M.. "Psoriasis and
Diet." WESTERN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE 133 (Nov. 1980)450
14. Brostoff J., Carini C., Wraith
D.G. et al. "Production of IgE complexes by allergen challenge in
atopic patients and the effect of sodium cromoglycate." LANCET
1979;1:1267
15. Jackson, P.G., Lessof M.H.,
Baker, R.W.R., et al. "Intestinal permeability in patients with eczema
and food allergy." LANCET. 1981;1:1285
16. Wright, R., Truelove, S.C.
"Circulating Antibodies to Dietary Proteins in Ulcerative Colitis."
BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL. 1965;2:142
17. Kijak, E., Foust, G. and R.
Steinman "Relationship of Blood Sugar Level and Leukocytic Phagocytosis."
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STATE DENTAL
ASSOCIATION JOURNAL 32;9
(Sept.1964).
18. Sanchez, A., et al. "Role of
Sugars in Human Neutrophilic Phagocytosis." AMERICA et al., AMERICAN
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY. r1992;135(8):895_903 N JOURNAL OF CLINICAL
NUTRITION. Nov. 1973. 1180_84
19. Selye, H. THE STRESS OF LIFE.
San Francisco: McGraw_Hill, 1978
20. Editorial. "Depression, Stress
and Immunity." LANCET I, (1987) 1467_1468.
21. PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE. 49:435
& 450. (Sept._Oct. 1987).
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