Why Sugar is The New Gateway Drug

You can read about all the evils of white sugar and you will still reach for your fix. Hey, you’re human. The thing is, you may want to determine for yourself what is an acceptable fix and what is a sugar addiction. The American diet (and culture) is inundated with products containing processed white sugar which has been proven to adversely affect living things and is addicting.

According to the Forbes article, ‘New Evidence That Sugar Is Harming Our Hearts’ (2/14),

“Among the health concerns of eating or drinking too much sugar have been a higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, dementia, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia (a bad assortment of blood fats), cirrhosis of the liver, and, of course, cardiovascular disease. And from the new study, which looked at sugar intake and the health of men and women over about 15 years, a clear trend emerged: The more added sugar a person consumed, the greater his or her risk of dying from heart disease.”

So it’s no surprise that the most expensive advertising is afforded by the very companies that are selling what fuels such afflictions as American obesity. Advertising (in many cases, trick or even false advertising) is the hypnotist that gets many of us started. Once hooked on white sugar some say a complete withdrawal is as difficult as kicking heroine. Below are a few facts and suggestions on white sugar regarding what it may do to your body and ways you may be able to break free from or avoid its ugly cycle.

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Serotonin 

White sugar is a tricky food as it can easily manipulate the brain’s release of serotonin, a “feel good” neurotransmitter. When sugar is consumed one response is a flood of serotonin which tells the consumer that what they are eating is awesome and that they should eat more. Therein lies the beginning of the cycle. Although serotonin is released, “it wears off quickly as the body regulates the blood sugar level with insulin” (Natural News/NN). This insulin release causes one to become less sensitive to the effects of sugar enabling them to consume more until they feel the “rush” again. This up and down chemical roller coaster ride continues and as more sugar is consumed, the user may present various adverse symptoms, namely obesity and depression.

WebMD describes the detrimental effect of a serotonin imbalance,

“There are many researchers who believe that an imbalance in serotonin levels may influence mood in a way that leads to depression. Possible problems include low brain cell production of serotonin, a lack of receptor sites able to receive the serotonin that is made, inability of serotonin to reach the receptor sites, or a shortage in tryptophan, the chemical from which serotonin is made. If any of these biochemical glitches occur, researchers believe it can lead to depression, as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, panic, and even excess anger.”

A Gateway Drug

One of many unwarranted reasons marijuana was outlawed was its alleged future danger. It was said that even one puff could lead to stronger drugs. Today, this has been shown to have been another propaganda fact. Yet Americans were never given the truth of the evils of white sugar which has been theorized as having its own gateway effects.

As serotonin fluctuates, as mentioned above, the user becomes less sensitive to its effects and reaches for more sugar which some believe leads to needing a stronger fix to offset depression and other excessive mood variations. “Once the cycle of artificially boosting mood, feeling low and needing a boost is established, it is easy for a potential addict to find chemicals to lift their mood.” (NN) This is especially applied to alcohol which turns to sugar and affects the body in practically the same way. Therefore, over consuming white sugar, some theorize, may be a gateway to alcoholism. The theory continues to the user being more apt to not only reach for alcohol but mood enhancing prescription drugs as well. This may be another reason why the billion plus profit producing Big Pharma industry thrives on anti-anxiety medication sales.

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Avoid the evils of white sugar and stick to live, unprocessed, non-animal foods as much as you can instead. You just may leap through life instead of hobble.