Nutrition 101: Sugar, Fodder for the Fire
By Blog Contributor Rachel Lodge
In Part 1 of this series on sugar, we looked at some of the different guises for sugar, and then examined the action and effects of sugar in the blood and the consequences for our body’s energy supply. We also took a brief look at ‘metabolic syndrome’ and discussed how this is a precursor to conditions such as type 2 diabetes. This time, we’ll be delving a little further into some of the damaging effects of sugar on the body, including a few that tend to get a little less air-time…
Are you a Middleweight Champion?!
Over time, as we continue to bombard our bodies with sugar and other refined carbohydrates, weight gain, especially around the middle of the body, becomes a very real concern as we start to develop the typical ‘apple-shaped’ body. Sometimes referred to as ‘toxic fat’, the cells that make up this visceral fat can actually operate as tiny ‘factories’ in their own right; producing an array of hormones and other compounds which can disrupt the body’s balance.
For example, the sex hormone estrogen can be produced by these fat cells, potentially contributing to an estrogen-dominant state in the female body often associated with a host of unwanted symptoms. These fat cells can also churn out substances that promote blood-clotting and increase blood pressure; increasing our susceptibility to heart disease. However, perhaps most relevant to our discussion in Part 1 where we looked at the action of sugar and insulin in the blood, these fat cells are also capable of churning out two further compounds: ‘tumor necrosis factor-alpha’ and ‘resistin’ which both hinder the action of insulin and therefore the efficiency with which damagingly high blood-sugar is brought down to safe levels.
These toxic fat cells by their very nature, promote inflammation in the body as a result of activating the immune system. This leads us to our next topic…
Sugar Promotes Inflammation
Inflammation is a key characteristic of numerous diseases; ranging from allergies (e.g. asthma, eczema, hay fever, migraine, etc) and auto-immune conditions (e.g. type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism etc). Many experts now agree that much of the heart disease we see that is sadly killing or massively impacting the health of millions, is caused by inflammation and one such cause of inflammation is high blood sugar.
Time and time again, ME/CFS research studies have specifically found evidence of neuro-inflammation in patients - that is inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. With this in mind, why would we as patients want to add to the body’s inflammatory load by continuing with a high-sugar diet? Add into the mix the fact that inflammation also obstructs the vital job that insulin performs in our blood, and we start to create a perfect environment for disease to take root.
Sugar Feeds Cancer
I find this to be one of the most sobering, ‘stop-you-in-your-tracks’ facts about sugar; yet it seems to rarely get a mention in the mainstream. Sugar, by its very nature, is a ‘growth-promoter’ (Myhill, 2016). Cancerous tumours thrive on sugar; it encourages them to grow and spread within the body. Sugar is fermented by cancer cells in a process known as ‘anaerobic metabolism’(meaning without oxygen), so by ditching the sugar and reducing the overall starchy carbohydrate load of our daily diets, we are in effect starving cancer cells of the very substrate they need to survive! Still need a bit more convincing?...how about a frequently used test for the presence of cancer in patients, the PET Scan, where the journey made by a radioactive-labeled sugar is tracked via a body scan - guess where the vast majority of the labeled sugar accumulates? You guessed it - in the cancerous tumor.
With over 10 years of experience creating nutrition plans for patients, I invite you to create your own personalized nutrition plan with me.
Sugar and the Brain
Of course, for those suffering from ME/CFS, brain fog can be a very common and extremely debilitating symptom of the disease. Perhaps you’ve even heard Alzheimer’s disease described as ‘type 3 diabetes’? As authors Monte and Wands (2008) point out in an in-depth review of the evidence, ‘Altogether, the results from these studies provide strong evidence in support of the hypothesis that AD (Alzheimers disease) represents a form of diabetes mellitus that selectively afflicts the brain’.
So why is this? Well, sugar doesn’t just have sticky properties when it’s added to our sweets, lollies, and ice cream; when we consume large quantities of sugar our blood sugar rises and becomes sticky. It then becomes capable of sticking to other substances in the body such as proteins, forming what are known as ‘advanced glycation end products’. This irreversibly changes their shape and it is these altered proteins that can result in disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease in the brain.
Sugar, Bacteria, and Infection
Let me finish by very briefly mentioning bacteria and infection. Sugar and other refined carbohydrates readily provide a delicious banquet for the ‘bad’ bacteria in the gut. They have an absolute field-day fermenting this sugar, and this causes the release of damaging toxins (which in turn, can activate the immune system and encourage inflammation) and the proliferation of the undesirable bacteria.
For ME/CFS sufferers, susceptibility to a wide range of infections can be very debilitating and frustrating, so anything we can do to ‘starve’ an infection is a vital part of treatment. Unfortunately, sugar also provides an easily accessible fuel source for numerous infections, ranging from tooth and gum decay, skin infections, wound infections, ear/nose/throat infections, pneumonia, cellulitis - the list goes on! Remember too, that sugar feeds candida (yeast) in the gut, causing it to proliferate to excess - a very common problem that can cause a host of unpleasant digestive symptoms and can also manifest as skin infections, thrush, fungal nail infections, and a coated tongue.
So there you have it! - just some of the unsavory truths surrounding sugar. Look out for Part 3 where we’ll look at some practical ways to overcome temptation and keep our blood sugar on a more even keel.
On a personal note, I’ve just started a 3-month sugar-free trial - eek! I’ve managed to rope in a friend and my husband for moral support, and I’m excited to see the impact it may have on my symptoms of ME/CFS as well as my general health. I’ll keep you posted! We’d love to hear from you in the comments section below if you’ve ever attempted being sugar-free, how did it go, and how did it impact your health?
Further Reading and References:
‘Fat Around the Middle’ (2006) by Dr Marilyn Glenville.
*see the film ‘Fat Head - Director’s Cut’ by Tom Naughton (2009) for more information here.
‘Prevent and Cure Diabetes - Delicious Diets not Dangerous Drugs’ (2016) by Dr Sarah Myhill and Craig Robinson.
