Being writers of health topics has conditioned us to reflexively respond to any discussion of sugar with thoughts of diabetes. It is indeed the most showcased of the sugar-related disorders, and many people have been misled into believing that diabetes is the only, or at least the primary, sugar-related disease. This popular belief is patently false, and such deceptive simplifications are tempting to embrace.
One of the lies perpetuating the confusion about sugar's role in health is namely the "sugar is bad for you" (e.g. sugar is unhealthy) lie. It is granted that most of our modern "sugars" are indeed horrible, but truly natural sugar, as designed by God, benefits human health in multiple ways. It is harmless to an individual who consumes it appropriately. It is important to pause for considering why the lie exists. It was created for the same reason that all of the other medical industry lies were fabricated. It protects the members of the medical industry, and the chemical industry upon which they rely. Instead of being honest about both the benefits and harmfulness of differing sugars, they instead blame their victims for not having enough dietary self-control whenever diseases such as diabetes manifest. However, it is what they carefully avoid saying which is especially revealing. One of these avoided facts is that sugar is necessary for human life. Sugar is next in importance to only oxygen. The two are inextricably linked in a symbiotic relationship. Most of the cells of the human body survive by a respiration process that draws in oxygen to biochemically "burn" sugar. This is how the human body derives its energy for life. If oxygen is the breath of life, then sugar is the fuel of life. The next layer of the onion is the frequent promotion of sugar-free diets, supposedly for the sake of health. In actuality, there is no such thing as a sugar-free diet, for it would soon produce a tortured death. Even when we categorically avoid all carbohydrates, we still get large amounts of sugar from our fruits and vegetables. We may even get tiny amounts of it from protein. In other words, sugar is so important that God put it everywhere. So when doctors tell us to get healthy by avoiding sugars from one side of their mouths, they are actually telling us with their other face to eat even more sugar through the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. They absolutely know that natural sugar is healthy, since they must admit that fruits and vegetables are healthy. There is another big truth of the situation that is being hidden in the shadow of the big lie. Outside of gross lifestyle abuses, sugars tend to be only harmful when they are engineered or modified by the chemical industry. Either this is correct, or apples and carrots are extremely dangerous.
The aspect of greatest complexity in this report is something that we have avoided in our previous work, because of its complexity. It involves the closely connected relationships between serotonin, sugars, and health overall. This is the mother-load that we have wrestled with for years -- a pot at the end of a rainbow that ties almost everything together. Serotonin is much more than we were led to believe. The vast marketing campaigns of the pharmaceutical companies have falsely convinced most people that serotonin is a simple and well-understood neurotransmitter, which plays a pivotal role in states of clinical depression. It really can play a role in depression, but rarely in the manner in which we were told. What they have avoided citing is that about 90% of a body's serotonin is not found inside the brain. Roughly 80% of it exists in and around the gastrointestinal tract, which should make the point about how often and how grandiosely the pharmaceutical industry lies to us. When compared, serotonin's action inside of the brain is fairly insignificant to its other jobs. Therefore, anti-depressant drugs are mostly altering the gastrointestinal system. The industry does not even have proof that anti-depressant medications can cross the blood-brain barrier. The true brain connection is an indirect one from the gastrointestinal effects of the drugs. This will never be honestly cataloged to the public by the pharmaceutical companies for fear that their house of cards will come down. The truth is that serotonin’s main job in the human body is to aid in the absorption of nutrients. This is where the anti-depressant smoke-and-mirrors routine begins to become almost comical. The real reason why the anti-depressants sometimes work is because they preserve the serotonin within the body (not the brain), which improves nutrition, such as improving the retention of magnesium and balancing the blood sugar. For all practical considerations, the drugs are actually just digestive aids like probiotics. In other words, an extra serving of baby spinach every day would provide equal or better benefit to the drug regimens. Serotonin's connection to sugar is that it is needed by insulin to regulate blood sugar. This too effects the depressed, since unstable blood sugar alone is enough to cause severe depressions. For this latter group with blood sugar issues, an apple a day would be more productive in keeping the psychiatrist away, especially with a pinch of cinnamon.
While some of these statements may seem a bit facetious, they are literally true. Readers should notice the overall pattern of the drug industry deviously dealing with nutritional issues through chemistry, while keeping the patients completely ignorant of the truth. The sugar connections to their drugs and serotonin explains the way in which they have designed their drugs to be maximally addictive. Take for example that an alcoholic is not truly addicted to alcohol. What alcoholics are actually addicted to are the serotonin-effecting sugar alcohols. The pharmaceutical industry discovered this decades ago, and opportunistically used this addictive phenomenon to create a new class of drugs that would literally make patients endlessly beg for more. The intoxicating (sugar-effecting) pills make patients disregard their troubles like a strong drink would, and then the poor patients are never free again. The chemically-induced addictions are easier to foster and are more severe than those from liquors.
Sugars play a role in every major disease in existence and most of the minor ones too. Take heart disease and arthritis as examples of how sugar-induced inflammation can ravage a body. The improper usage of sugars within the human body is what fuels cancer cells too, for cancer cells survive solely through a fermentation process instead of standard respiration. We need not mention diabetes with it being so self-evident. Of course, it is not just the body that is effected. Having healthy sugar, in the right amount, is equally essential for mental health, even though the psychiatric industry tells us straight-faced that it is a matter of serotonin and its "re-uptake".
Because of the unique nature of cancer, even the healthy sugars should be limited for cancer patients, and this means that many of the anti-cancer juicing protocols are dangerous. Even the noteworthy Gerson Protocol is risky to some degree. Take as a case history when Steve Jobs switched to an entirely unbalanced diet, consisting of only carrot juice. It was likely his lack of nutrition, combined with excessive amounts of sugar, which ended his life. It was a diet that primarily benefited the cancer cells, while starving the good ones. It destroyed whatever remained of his immune system.
Natural Sweeteners
Evaporated Cane Juice
This is made by pressing sugar cane stalks in order to extract the plant's sugary juice, and then the resultant liquid is allowed to crystallize. The sugar crystals are ground and sold. This ancient procedure produces the only real powdered sugar that the world has ever known. The powder is a beige color in its natural and organic form. The crystals of real cane juice should always be purchased instead of the brilliantly white "cane sugar", which is commonly known as "table sugar". Evaporated cane juice is our top recommendation for anyone needing a powdered sugar, and we confidently use it ourselves. The only ingredient listed should be "evaporated cane juice". If a product's label has any deviations from this, then you may know that its producer is dishonest, because it is not truly sugar anymore. Be cautious to never confuse evaporated cane juice with "pure" cane juice, or any of the other word combinations that have been carefully designed to mislead customers. It is a trick to snare the somewhat health-conscious. The powdery alternatives to evaporated cane juice are neither pure, nor are they healthy, as will be thoroughly explained in the section about processed sugars.
Honey
Honey provides an abundance of health benefits. It contains anti-histamines that are specific to all of the pollens that its maker bees were exposed to. For this reason, getting honey that was produced by local bees can make a dramatic difference for those with environmental allergies. Honey also contains magnesium, calcium, iron, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-1, and a small amount of vitamin C. It does not cause the spikes in blood sugar that regular sugars do. This is believed to be in part because of the B-vitamins that it contains, which are known to help the body to regulate sugars. Honey is probably the healthiest sweetener in existence overall, and it outclasses even evaporated cane juice. Honey is the gold standard of sweeteners. It is the only sweetener mentioned in the Bible, as one of the few foods which God considered to be good enough for the infant Christ.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is the sap of the sugar maple tree. It is usually pasteurized (heated) to eliminate bacteria, but it is otherwise unaltered. It contains iron and magnesium. Be wary of imitations that use deceptive labeling, such as "maple flavored syrup". These are usually made of high fructose corn syrup that has been mixed with other chemical flavorings.
Stevia
Stevia is a plant that is native to South America. It is ten to fifteen times sweeter than sugar. The organic green powder is sold online and at some health food stores. It is added to foods and hot drinks. Stevia is estimated to have been used in South America for over 1,500 years. Some people find its bitter aftertaste to be disagreeable, whilst others enjoy its unique flavor.
The majority of products that are sold "with stevia" do not actually contain any stevia. It is more words games from the industry, which were blessed by the F.D.A. again. These products merely contain one chemically-extracted component of the stevia plant. Real stevia leaves cannot be added to commercial foods within the United States, because the F.D.A. labeled stevia as an "unsafe food additive" in 1991. This was done entirely by fiat, for there are no reports of any human ever having been harmed by stevia throughout history. At that time, Arizona congressman Jon Kyl, described the F.D.A.'s response to be "a restraint of trade to benefit the artificial sweetener industry". In December of 2008, the F.D.A. gave approval for the chemical Truvia (developed by Coca Cola) and PureVia (developed by Pepsi), both of which use rebaudioside A, a compound that is found within the stevia plant. Organic stevia leaves, which have been used as a sweetener for millennia, remain banned in U.S. foods. Instead of having stevia as an option, American shoppers have PepsiCo's 'stevia'.
Some of the products dishonestly state on the label that they contain "stevia leaf extract". This would have been true only if the constituents of the stevia leaf had been extracted by pressing or boiling. In actuality, it is chemically extracted using industrial solvents. The labels never state that it contains a compound that was chemically extracted from the stevia plant, then isolated with industrial solvents. The agenda is to get health-conscious consumers addicted to these products from the chemical industry, so that true stevia, which is unpatentable, never gains a large market share.
While the stevia plant is absolutely safe enough to literally eat, we warn against the chemically-extracted imitations that are being sold as "stevia". Be advised that real stevia is never white. The long-term effects of the synthetic imitations and extracts are unknown.
Processed Sweeteners
Pure Cane Sugar (Table Sugar)
This consists of the brilliantly white crystals that most people consider to be "sugar" or "table sugar". It is likely to be bleached with the super-toxic chlorine dioxide (think dioxin contamination), or it has been processed with cattle bone char. The word "pure" in the labeling is used to deceive customers into believing that the sugar is devoid of impurities. The word "pure" on a sugar label actually means that it contains no minerals, by the F.D.A.'s and its chemical industry's warped definition of "pure". For the rest of us, their special industry-protecting redefinition of "pure" indicates that the substance is both lacking in real nutrition, and that it is now chemically tainted from such processing. Their redefinition actually means the opposite of pure in the case of sugar. In the bizarre, petrochemical world of the F.D.A. and its business partners, naturally-occurring minerals are impurities, but toxic byproducts (like dioxins) are "nutrients" that are "generally recognized as safe". Similar to the disturbing case of table salt labeling, "pure cane sugar" does not have the minerals that the real thing does.
The minerals of organic sugar aid in the stabilization of blood sugar, and they prevent the cellular overload that leads to the inflammation and obesity problems for which sugars have become known for. The chemical industry's so-called "pure" sugar has no nutritional benefits to offer, in addition to it not being a natural sugar anymore.
The most significant risks from chlorine exposure come not from the chlorine itself, but from its dangerous byproducts, which are known as trihalomethanes (THM's). They are produced whenever chlorine agents contact organic proteins. An example of a THM is chloroform, a proven cancer-causing agent. Animal studies have consistently shown an association between THM's and cancers of the liver and kidneys. Chlorine and THM's have been tied to colon and bladder cancers, as well as diabetes, kidney stones, and heart attacks. These facets of chlorine exposure are expanded upon in our report about drinking water.
The average American consumes 100 to 160 pounds of this toxic, inflammatory, chlorine bleached, chemically-refined sugar every year, and it is one of the primary reasons for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The massive amount of refined sugars that we eat each year destructively inflames the pancreas, kidneys, and the liver. When these organs finally become dysfunctional from such abuse, people develop a condition known as carbohydrate intolerance. It is a condition wherein a body can no longer properly metabolize carbohydrates and sugars. Most Americans somewhat already have this prediabetic condition, and this is why the carbohydrate-free diets work so well, for a human body will place compounds that it cannot process (e.g. sugars) into fat storage to shield itself. This syndrome explains both the effectiveness of the carbohydrate-free diets, and why diabetics tend to have such terrible weight gain problems. The dramatic loss of weight which some diabetics experience stems from kidney stress that was caused by carbohydrate intolerance too. Carbohydrate intolerance is a precursor to diabetes, but most people remain undiagnosed until full-blown diabetes begins to severely disrupt their lives.
Beet Sugar
The processing of beets to make sugar is extremely complex, and the process is riddled with caustic chemicals, such as calcium hydroxide. Ninety-five percent of sugar beets that are grown within the United States are genetically engineered to be resistant to Monsanto's RoundUp herbicide. So, not only are the crops genetically engineered, but they are engineered to allow more poisons to be sprayed on the crops. Sugar beets currently provide over 50% of America's sugar supply for processed foods. Most beet sugar is added to processed foods, and it is deceptively listed on labels as "sugar". Genetically engineered sugar beets were approved in 2008 in the United States, but the planting of the seeds was temporarily stopped in 2010, when a federal judge established that the appropriate steps had not been taken to evaluate the safety and environmental impact of the new crops. At that time, there was a shortage of conventional sugar beet seeds, because so many farmers had immediately switched to the genetically-engineered seeds. Genetically-engineered beets are being planted again.
The health effects of genetically-engineered produce are almost completely unstudied, because G.E. seed manufacturers proactively prevent independent researchers from having access to the modified seeds, by issuing threats of patent lawsuits. For all practical purposes, this means that it is illegal to test for the health implications within the United States and many other countries. In addition to the risks stemming from genetic modifications, there is also the grossly elevated risk of pesticide contamination, since the pesticide levels on G.M.O. crops far exceed those used on conventional produce.
In addition to being the main "sugar" for processed foods, beet sugar is usually added to cereals. In a previous report, we mentioned how a spokesman for the Kellog's company flippantly commented that most Americans do not care if they are eating biotechnology foods, so the company would continue refusing to label its products as being from genetically-engineered ingredients.
Brown Sugar
Nowadays, brown sugar is primarily made of beet sugar (see above), because beet sugar is cheaper than cane sugar. Cane molasses must be added, due to the fact that the molasses from beets is distasteful alone. It is thus especially important to purchase only organic brown sugar, to avoid the consumption of sugar beet derivatives that were genetically engineered by the biotechnology industry. Organic brown sugar will almost certainly be made from cane sugar instead of genetically-modified sugar beets.
Agave Nectar
We have had mixed reports about the manufacturing process of agave nectar, so we must advise people to exercise caution. It is worth noting that agave ferments like real sugar, and this process is used to make Tequila. It is unlikely to provide any health benefits over evaporated cane juice. We officially discourage the use of commercially-available agave nectar products, because of their dubious help-to-harm ratio, and the disturbing secretiveness of the producers.
Glucose (Dextrose)
Glucose exists naturally in plants. It has been chemically extracted whenever it is listed on labels, for it does not appear alone in nature. Thus, it is a poor sugar, since it was not meant for straight human consumption. The extreme processing of it makes contamination likely. In the United States, genetically-engineered corn is almost always used as the source of glucose. Dextrose is a specific type of glucose that has been derived from starches, instead of corn. In addition to the likelihood of contamination, this sugar lacks the minerals that make other sugars beneficial. The current state of science believes that the glucose which is produced inside laboratories is identical to that which is found inside natural foods, but this may be a case of wishful thinking by industry. Therefore, we are obligated to recommend that exposure to the ingredient "glucose" be limited. The first rule of science should be to honestly assess what is not known, but industry has much trouble with this rule.
Molasses
Molasses that is made for human consumption is always derived from sugar cane, instead of sugar beets; since the molasses that is made from sugar beets tastes foul. During sugar manufacturing, only part of the sugar juice crystallizes. The remaining fluid is referred to as molasses, and it is typically boiled multiple times to remove any sucrose (sugar). Each time it is boiled, it becomes more darkly colored, and this is the reason for the different colors of molasses available. The lighter versions of molasses are higher in sugar, whereas the darkest ("blackstrap molasses") is low in sugar, but it has a more concentrated mineral content. Molasses provides a plentiful supply of minerals, including magnesium, manganese, selenium, and iron. It is a healthy sweetener in moderation.
Corn Syrup
Corn syrup is the result of a long manufacturing process, which starts with corn that is most often genetically engineered. First, corn starch is made from corn kernels, by exposing ground corn to a sulfurous acid solution (made of sulfur dioxide and water) for 20-40 hours. After extensive milling and mechanical separation, corn starch results. This starch is then exposed to hydrochloric acid and extreme heat, which breaks down the starch and converts it into corn syrup.
Due to the base ingredient being genetically engineered, the extreme chemical modifications that are required to make this product, and the high risk of impurities getting introduced into it through that process; we must recommend against the consumption of corn syrup.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
This infamous sweetener is most publicized for causing unparalleled obesity, but far more troubling is its impact upon the cardiovascular system. It directly causes irreversible scarring inside of the arteries with every exposure. It has also been linked to diabetes, dementia, and metabolic disorders. In contrast, natural fructose that is metabolized by the body, such as fructose from fruit sources, does not have any known harmful effects. The arterial scarring that is caused by high fructose corn syrup becomes a permanent hindrance to the cardiovascular system. It is vital for anyone with a serious health problem (particularly heart disease, cancer, or diabetes) to avoid high fructose corn syrup completely.
As its name suggests, high fructose corn syrup begins its life as corn, 93% of which is genetically engineered, according to the Center for Food Safety. The complex chemical process that is used to create high fructose corn syrup begins with sulfuric acid and ends as something that is nothing like anything that exists in the natural world. As something that is so exceedingly foreign to the human body, this toxin suppresses the immune system throughout, as it must redirect its resources to counteract the foreign substance. While high fructose corn syrup has been repeatedly linked to diabetes and heart failure, it is lesser known for its role in both inducing cancers and fueling existing cancers.
In 2009, a study done by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy showed that nearly half of all high fructose corn syrup is contaminated with mercury. Two studies demonstrating this problem were publicized in the Washington Post, but all calls to investigate the mercury contamination have been governmentally ignored. Mercury is a bio-accumulative heavy metal that a body cannot normally excrete. So, each exposure to it increases the overall amount of mercury within a body, which dramatically reduces the I.Q, and causes a host of neurological problems, such as multiple sclerosis, autism, and Parkinson's disease.
High fructose corn syrup is known for causing massive inflammation throughout the body at a level that dwarfs other sugars, while depleting vitamin C. It plays a direct role in every major disease of our era.
Sugar Alcohols (Maltitol, Erythritol, Sorbitol, Xylitol, Mannitol, and Isomalt)
The sugar alcohols that are used in foods are the result of heavy chemical processing, so we do not recommend consuming these ingredients in large amounts. In fact, all of the sugar alcohols are reported to cause digestive issues when used in large quantities, particularly if a person has not built-up a tolerance to them. However, they usually have very little negative effect when they are consumed in tiny amounts, such as when they are used as sweeteners in lozenges or dental products. Some products are disingenuously labeled to be "sugar-free" despite containing these ingredients. Since most of them raise the blood sugar, it is patently dishonest to market them to diabetics as being "sugar free".
The only exception to this is xylitol, which does not raise the blood sugar. Xylitol furthermore has attributes that are especially good for dental health, such as its uncanny tendency to strengthen tooth enamel. In other words, it does what fluoride is supposed to do, but in a much safer and more effective way. This makes it a positive addition to dental products. Xylitol is dangerous to most pets, however. They metabolize it differently, and produce insulin in response to it. Due to the fact that there is no sugar in xylitol for the insulin to neutralize, a pet may enter insulin shock after consuming it. Giving an afflicted pet something that is high in real sugar could save its life by offsetting the insulin.
Maltose (Malt Syrup)
Malt syrup was one of the earliest grain-based sweeteners. It is made through a process wherein grain is germinated by soaking it in hot water. Thereafter, it is dried to halt further germination. This partial germination results in a biological change, whereby the sugar content is maximized. The grain is then mashed, and either boiled or baked. The resultant liquid is malt syrup, otherwise known as maltose. Malt syrup is essentially a simple carbohydrate, so it should be used sparingly. The health effects of simple carbohydrates are detailed in the next section.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are transformed into sugars inside of the body as they are metabolized. There are two major classes of carbohydrates. These consist of the simple and complex carbohydrates.
Most simple carbohydrates are engineered by the food industry. The simple carbohydrates include white breads, white rice, cereals, and white flour. None of these are white in nature. In fact, they are like nothing natural in either form or substance. Whenever they enter into a body, they make a transformation into sugars rapidly, which are then burned quickly. This soon after produces excessive hunger, despite their high load of calories. They provide a short burst of energy that is followed by a sugar crash, and possibly even greater hunger than was initially experienced. The aftermath mimics that of white sugar crystals.
Refined (simple) carbohydrates contain almost no nutrition. Modern milling practices result in the removal of the bran, husk, and germ from wheat and rice. This processing renders carbohydrates that are depleted of nutritional value, and it makes them likewise inflammatory. The processing of grains and rice are so extreme that refined carbohydrates get "enriched" with synthetic vitamins, in an attempt to ameliorate the effects of eating foods which have no benefit to the human body. Those who once lived almost exclusively on refined carbohydrates got a condition known as beriberi, which causes difficulty speaking, loss of feeling in the legs, involuntary eye movements, paralysis, and eventually heart failure. Beriberi is the result of a vitamin B-1 (thiamine) deficiency. To prevent this condition, vitamin B-1 is now added to almost all refined flours, and thereby to the junk foods that contain them. Instead of switching to natural ingredients, the chemical industry's solution was more chemistry, of course, in the form of synthetic vitamins. This was a poor stop-gap solution, because their "food" products are still lacking the minerals that would otherwise work synergistically with vitamin B-1 and others. The addition of vitamin B-1 did, however, stop the lawsuits, which was the primary goal.
In contrast, the complex carbohydrates are metabolized slowly. These foods include whole-grain rice, potatoes, and whole-wheat breads. They provide stable energy over an extended period, without inflammation, blood sugar instability, and without producing hunger cravings.
In this era, carbohydrate addictions are normal. This is the legacy of Rome's Empire. Before the rise of the Roman Empire and its innovative milling practices, wheat was barely consumed by humans. It was previously considered to be cattle food. Yet, our modern medical establishment promotes the idea that carbohydrate-based foods, which did not even exist throughout most of human history, are the fundamental part of our diets as the base level of the U.S. Food Pyramid. The modern U.S. Food Pyramid indicates that carbohydrates should be consumed more than any other food group. Carbohydrates are not necessary for health, or anything else for that matter, but complex carbohydrates may be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Whenever possible, whole grain rice and whole wheat flour products should be chosen, in lieu of the simple carbohydrates.
In our society, people literally crave carbohydrates and experience addiction withdrawals without them, in the form of fatigue, irritability, hunger, loss of energy, confusion, and headaches. People have replaced good nutrition with refined carbohydrates, which subsequently feeds candida yeast living in the intestinal tract to stimulate even more malnutrition. It is easy to understand why the most effective weight loss plans, such as the Atkins' and Paleo diets, feature the limiting of carbohydrates.
We would like to include a special warning about purchasing whole wheat bread for people who are seeking better alternatives, because we have found that the chemical ingredients in commercial whole grain (whole wheat) breads tend to be significantly worse than those of commercial white breads. Therefore, the only reasonably healthy bread is homemade bread, which is preferably whole wheat.
Artificial Sweeteners
Sucralose (Splenda)
Sucralose has been proven to worsen diabetes, abort pregnancies, and toxify the liver and kidneys. These are unmistakable signs that sucralose is an extremely dangerous substance, but it is the least-studied artificial sweetener. It is one of the more recent sweeteners from the diet industry. One of the reasons for sucralose's fast-track approval is because aspartame cannot be used in baked foods, for it breaks down at high temperatures into toxic substances, as it does during metabolisis within the human body. Sucralose was hailed to be a better alternative for cooking, but it releases chloropropanols when heated, which are toxic chlorine byproducts.
A 2008 study by Duke University titled, Splenda Alters Gut Microflora and Increases Intestinal P-Glycoprotein and Cytochrome P-450 in Male Rats, showed that sucralose reduces the amount of beneficial bacteria (flora) in the gastrointestinal tract, and through this action; it is a suspected cause of inflammatory bowel disease. The same study showed that it inhibited the absorption of "orally administered drugs". Sucralose therefore impairs the gastrointestinal system to cause malnutrition. Significant weight and health issues will manifest themselves, since the malnutrition will activate starvation hormones that can take decades to turn off. As a result, both dietary problems and disease states can be expected to become grossly exaggerated.
The makers of Splenda, McNeil Nutritionals, were sued by the Sugar Association, in response to McNeil's dishonest marketing campaign: "Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar". Sucralose is actually a toxic chemical compound that is synthesized by combining sugar (sucrose) with chlorine to produce something unique. The lawsuit was settled out of court, and the makers of sucralose have discontinued implying that their product is similar to real sugar in taste, substance, or safety.
A report published by the National Institutes of Health stated that sucralose is mutagenic (DNA altering), and that it furthermore induces lymphoma (lymphatic cancers) in mice. The report is somewhat ironic, since the National Institutes of Health is the sister organization of the F.D.A., which has been blessing Splenda for years and doing damage control for its manufacturer.
Aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal)
The California Environmental Protection Agency recently urged independent scientists to conduct new animal studies to further expose the link between aspartame and cancers. In 2005, researchers at the Ramazzini Foundation in Bologna, Italy conducted such a study. The study found that rats exposed to aspartame starting at 8 weeks of age, and continuing throughout their lives, developed leukemias, lymphomas, and kidney tumors. In 2007, the same researchers published a follow-up study that exposed rats to aspartame beginning in the womb and continuing throughout their lives. It found that aspartame caused lymphomas, in addition to mammary (breast) cancers. In 2010, the group exposed test mice to aspartame while they were still in the womb again, and made the startling discovery that the mice developed liver cancers and lung cancers too.
The most respected long-term study of aspartame in humans, Consumption of Artificial Sweetener -- and Sugar-Containing Soda and Risk of Lymphoma and Leukemia in Men and Women, was conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. It provided evidence that aspartame causes an increased risk of cancer in men, but this effect was not mirrored in women. This finding might be due to the fact that men have higher levels of an enzyme that converts the methanol from aspartame metabolisis into formaldehyde, a carcinogen. The cancers that were observed in the Harvard study mimicked the results that were seen elsewhere in animal studies.
There is strong evidence connecting aspartame to Parkinson's Disease. Aspartate is one of the main components that is released when aspartame is metabolized, and it directly effects the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors inside the brain. NMDA receptor excitotoxicity is associated with Parkinson's disease. Regular intake of aspartame damages these receptors, and this sometimes leads to Parkinson's disease. The 2007 study entitled, Aspartame Decreases Evoked Extracellular Dopamine Levels in the Rat Brain, by Muskingum College in Ohio, showed that aspartame reduces dopamine levels in the brains of rats. When dopamine is dramatically reduced, there is a neurological decline matching that which is seen in those with Parkinson's disease. In 2001, the Norwegian University of Science published a research study verifying that aspartame is both an excitotoxin and a neurotoxin that is particularly unsafe for children.
Saccharin (Sweet'N Low)
Saccharin is the oldest of the artificial sweeteners. The Monsanto company was founded in 1901 to produce and market saccharin, so it was the company's flagship product. It was discovered accidentally in 1879 by the chemist, Constantin Fahlberg, who was researching coal tar derivatives. Saccharin is the alias that he gave to his discovery. The official chemical name for it is benzoic sulfimide. The "benzoic" part indicates the presence of benzene. In other words, paint stripper. It is one of the most potent carcinogens, which is especially known for causing leukemias, liver damage, and DNA damage. In the 1960's and 1970's, a growing diet food industry embraced the use of saccharin, which led to its widespread usage. It was ironically promoted for the sake of health, since it eliminated the purported dangers of real sugar. As early as 1977, it was discovered that this chemical is quite dangerous. The Food and Drug Administration swiftly moved to get it banned, in light of its propensity for causing cancers. Instead, the U.S. Congress passed the Saccharin Study and Labeling Act, which allowed saccharin to be sold with the warning label, "Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals." The U.S. Congress actually passed a law to specifically stop the F.D.A. from banning saccharin, so it still remains on the market after decades. Canada immediately banned saccharin, however.
In 1997, the diet industry began seeking permission to remove the warning label from saccharin products. As a Christmas present to the chemical industry, the U.S. Congress passed another law specific to helping it on December 21st, 2000, wherein it removed the mandatory warning label requirement for saccharin. Around the same time, the Canadian Government unlisted saccharin as a carcinogen too. The revisionist history now states that the original studies which proved saccharin's dangers were flawed, because the biological mechanism that caused cancers in rats may not necessarily appear in humans. Even if this were true (and it is not), it ignores the fact that numerous studies since have proven the human cancer risk. The link between saccharin and kidney failure in humans has also been repeatedly established, as well as the tendency of saccharin to cause bladder cancers. Infants who are fed saccharin develop muscular disorders, alongside irritability, and brain cancers.
Incredibly, the chemical industry is now attempting to get saccharin (Sweet'N Low) classified as a drug for the treatment of cancerous brain tumors, which it is known to cause. The evaluation of saccharin as an anti-cancer drug means that the chemical industry has implicitly admitted that saccharin is not just a benign sweetener, for only poisons are used as standard cancer treatments. To make their case, they are now even admitting that it deactivates proteins within the body during this type of cancer "therapy". This comes after a century of denials about its effects upon the human body and the claims of its benign nature.
Acesulfame Potassium (Acesulfame-K)
As with most chemical sweeteners, acesulfame potassium was approved based solely upon safety data that was provided by its manufacturer (Hoechst). The manufacturer's own studies showed the tendency of acesulfame potassium to induce cancers. The N.I.H.'s National Institute on Aging published a study in August 2013, which showed that the routine use of acesulfame potassium causes neurological disorders, such as reduced memory. The Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the F.D.A. in 1996 to not approve acesulfame potassium for use in soft drinks until independent research had been done. The request was ignored. Acetoacetamide, a breakdown product of metabolized acesulfame potassium, causes thyroid disease in mammals.
Acesulfame potassium is rarely used alone. It is most often combined with sucralose (Splenda). It is reported to have an unpleasant chemical aftertaste when it is used alone, so its aftertaste is masked by sucralose.
Artificial Sugar Crashes and Neuropathy
Real sugar is usually removed from diet products under the guise of helping customers to lose weight. The sugars are replaced with artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame (NutraSweet or Equal), saccharin (Sweet'N Low), or sucralose (Splenda). All of these sweeteners have been proven to actually cause weight gain by stimulating carbohydrate and sugar cravings. These chemicals successfully trick a brain into detecting that these products contain a sugar, so a person experiences an artificially-induced sugar crash -- only the artificial crash is worse, since there was never any real sugar for the flood of insulin to handle. Call it nature's revenge, if you like. Before artificially-enhanced foods and drinks, there was no sweetness without calories, and a body does not understand how to regulate these artificially-sweet substances. The lobbyists of artificial sweeteners pretend that these chemicals do not effect insulin, but the carbohydrate cravings prove that they must, and a body really requires carbohydrates or sugar to compensate for the insulin imbalances that are caused by these products. These sweeteners are the primary reason why both dieters and diabetics have such difficulty overcoming their problems, which coincidentally is of benefit to the same chemical industry that makes the pharmaceuticals. Their profits are directly tied to ensuring that our dietary and health problems worsen.
Another example of the industry's chicanery is how the artificial sweeteners in most diet products cause obesity at a substantially faster rate than normal sugars and carbohydrates do. A typical "zero calorie" drink will stimulate fat build-up in two ways; and both involve destroying a victim's overall health. Firstly, all of the artificial sweeteners are either inherently toxic or they metabolize into toxic compounds inside the body. Take for example that the artificial sweetener, aspartame, is an excitotoxin (neurotoxin) in its normal state, like MSG is. During metabolisis, aspartame is broken down into various other poisons inside the body, such as formaldehyde and aspartic acid, which are then circulated by the blood. This generates extreme inflammation and an over-driven immune system; as if the victim were poisoned, because he really was. Secondly, artificial sweeteners produce artificial sugar crashes that induce extreme cravings for sugars and carbohydrates. You may have found yourself irresistibly tearing into a loaf of bread or a bowl of pasta after consuming one of the 'healthy' diet colas, all-the-while trying to understand why you could not stop yourself. Now you know why, and perhaps you finally understand how evil the chemical companies are.
Most artificial sugars are excitotoxins, which means that they directly attack the nervous system; causing terminal brain cancers, fibromyalgia, cardiac arrhythmias, diabetes, obesity, and a whole host of other severe, life-destroying disorders. A person exposed to artificial sweeteners is likely to develop diabetic neuropathy, even without having full diabetes. Most users of diet products already have a mild case of it, which will typically go undiagnosed forever. Associated conditions that result are often diagnosed successfully, but it is rare for the root cause to be discovered by standard doctors. The umbrella of associated illnesses are most often categorized as mysteries, but it is becoming increasing common for doctors to blame genetics when all of the other guesses are disproven.
The Sour Politics of Sweeteners: The Case History of Aspartame
In January of 1980, the F.D.A. advisory board banned aspartame, because their research showed that it causes brain tumors. This decision could only be overturned by the commissioner. Then, in November of 1980, Donald Rumsfeld was hired as part of the transition team for President Ronald Reagan, prior to which, he had been the President of Searle (the company that created aspartame). On the first day of the new administration, the previous F.D.A. commissioner's authority was suspended, and Rumsfeld assigned Dr. Arthur Hayes as the new head of the F.D.A. Hayes was previously just a defense contractor, but he had a close relationship with Rumsfeld because they had worked together under the Nixon Administration in close contact with the President of Pepsico. Hayes' first decision was to approve aspartame for dry foods, and by the end of 1983, he had approved aspartame in soft drinks too. He was later forced to leave the agency, due to media pressure concerning his acceptance of corporate "gifts". The defense contractor then went to the Searle public relations firm as its Senior Medical Adviser, whist still having absolutely no medical training. Shortly thereafter, Monsanto purchased Searle. Rumsfeld received a $12 million "bonus" for his help in ramrodding the F.D.A. into unbanning aspartame.
Conclusionary Remarks
We have attempted to demonstrate that unhealthy sugars and unhealthy carbohydrates are second only to our self-poisoning through chemistry in causing the diseases that plague modern society. Even good sweeteners may be abused to cause disastrous consequences, but artificial and modified sugars categorically cause significantly more harm with less exposure. Healthy sugars, such as those found naturally in fruits, honey, and evaporated cane juice do not contribute to inflammation, nor do they damage the intestinal flora to cause chronic malnutrition, allergies, and yeast overgrowth.
Refined sugars and refined carbohydrates cause inflammation that damages the arterial walls, requiring the body to produce cholesterol to repair them. These sugars inflame by causing oxidative stress that leads to overall oxygen starvation at the cellular level. This makes a person much more likely to acquire diabetes, cancer, heart disease, central nervous system problems, and psychiatric illnesses. They disrupt the intestinal flora, which is the beneficial bacteria that is necessary for the proper absorption of nutrients from foods. Whenever the flora are damaged by toxic sugars, people become malnourished because they can no longer properly absorb nutrients, even from nutrient-dense foods. This is a pre-sepsis state that is surprisingly common.
The resultant health problems may begin with an annoying nerve disorder that eventually escalates into an irregular pulse (a common issue amongst the users of artificial sweeteners). The increased immune suppression from subsequent medical interventions, such as pacemakers and drugs, merge with even more dietary chemicals leading easily into cancer. We have personally witnessed this exact scenario happen, and it was ultimately fatal to the patient. Cigarette smoking from thirty years prior was blamed, as was politically correct to do, despite the affair having been a textbook case of aspartame poisoning. We remember the details of this case above all of the others, for the patient was Thomas' mother. She was murdered by the combination of 'healthier' diet alternatives and cancer 'medicine'. It is a pattern that we have seen repeated many times since. How much poison does a person need to consume before it becomes beneficial? Chemistry is not the solution to our health problems, because the problem is our use of chemistry.
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