Month: October 2008

Contributed by Dr. Ken O’Neal

In 1973 a highly respected doctor and research scientist Henry A. Schroeder, MD wrote a book titled The Trace Elements and Man in which he devoted an entire Chapter 6- "Chromium Deficiency & Atherosclerosis," virtually stating that cardiovascular disease/atherosclerosis/diabetes were just a continuum of one disease caused by lack of Chromium brought on and accelerated by the average American diet of large amounts white sugar/white flour.

By Elizabeth Landau

(CNN) — A 6-foot-4 football player is more than a million times the size of a typical Staphylococcus bacterium. But under the right conditions, that athlete could find himself defenseless against the microscopic bug.

The problem came to the forefront last week with Cleveland Browns player Kellen Winslow, who recently had his second staph infection. He is reportedly the sixth player to acquire staph among the Browns in five years.

Winslow recently said the Browns treated him like a "piece of meat" when he was hospitalized for the condition, and he claimed they covered up the cause of his illness.

After Winslow spoke out, the organization suspended him for one game, then rescinded the suspension after a settlement with Winslow over the weekend. The Browns said in a statement Saturday that the team and Winslow had worked through their differences, and that the team looked forward to his return. Winslow joined the team again Monday.

Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts was revealed to have a staph infection, the Indianapolis Star reported Friday. University of North Carolina-Asheville fans also recently learned that Kenny George, the 7-foot-7 center on the basketball team, had a staph infection complication that led to part of his foot being amputated.

It's unclear how these high-profile athletes acquired their infections, but locker rooms have been found to habor staph bacteria in previous outbreaks. The topic is generating buzz throughout the sports world as more players' staph cases are revealed. Hospitals have long been known to be hot spots for transmitting staph, but recently cases have cropped up in other community settings. Regardless of where these players got their infections, the close quarters of a locker room raise questions about overall risks.

About 30 percent of people carry staph in their noses without exhibiting symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Experts say Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a form of staph resistant to common antibiotics, has become a more prevalent problem in settings such as contact sports that involve skin-to-skin touching.

Most MRSA infections acquired in community settings present themselves as sores or boils and often appear red, swollen, painful or with drainage such as pus, the CDC says. Infections often occur in cuts and abrasions but also on body parts covered in hair, such as the back of the neck, armpit or groin.

Schools, prisons and other crowded environments are particularly known for transmitting MRSA, said. Elaine Larson, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

MRSA may spread particularly easily among athletes because they have repeated skin-to-skin contact, share items and surfaces that touch skin and have a hard time staying clean, the CDC says. Athletes often get cuts and abrasions; MRSA can enter uncovered skin breaks and cause infection.

Dr. James Steinberg, medical director at Emory University's Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, said that environment plays a role in the spread of MRSA but that it's less a factor than coming into contact with a person's skin.

"If you have somebody who has an infection — he has a draining infection — and he gets some of his pus on a bench, that staph's going to be there for hours or days before it dries out," he said. "But the higher concentration is going to be on that person's skin."

A second infection in the same person could result from re-exposure or from treatment that didn't get rid of the bacteria colonization, he said.

MRSA has been around in hospital settings since the 1970s, but community-associated MRSA was born in the late 1990s, and is now widespread in the community, said CDC spokesperson Nicole Coffin. A report from the CDC said that the deaths of four children from MRSA in North Dakota and Minnesota during the late 1990s "demonstrate the potential severity of community-acquired MRSA infections."

A study on the St. Louis Rams published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2003 found that during the 2003 football season, there were eight MRSA infections among five of the 58 Rams players.

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To protect against MRSA, the CDC recommends practicing good personal hygiene and taking care of your skin, which includes wearing protective clothing and covering cuts and abrasions with clean, dry bandages. Also, do not share items that come into contact with your skin, such as towels, razors and ointments. Put something between your skin and shared equipment — for example, sit on a towel on a bench.

Larson said she is not directly familiar with Winslow's situation but understands the dilemma that a team would face if a player contracted a staph infection. There could be economic and psychosocial repercussions — for example, another team might not want to play against that one, she said.

But in general, other team members should be made aware of the situation so they do not share towels or engage in other behaviors that might transmit the infection.

Still, there is a danger of overreaction, she said. In some instances when a child in a public school has died, the whole school panicked and fumigated the facility, she said.

"It's a good idea to avoid that level of fear, because it's costly and it scares people unnecessarily," she said.

On Thursday, the Brown's General Manager Phil Savage said the team did not alert players to Winslow's staph infection partly because of the health privacy laws and partly because the team was in "game mode" when Winslow had a confirmed diagnosis.

"To come out and talk about that just was going to be another distraction," Savage said on his regular weekly appearance on WTAM radio in Cleveland, Ohio. "That's our job, is to limit distractions as much as we can."

Winslow said in a statement released through his publicist, Denice White of EAG Sports Management, that he had been discouraged from making the issue public.

"This has nothing to do with football, and this has nothing to with my current contract situation," he said. "This is a health concern."

According to an ADA press release sent to national media outlets, CSAB will support local and national ADA programs, such as "America's Walk for Diabetes" and "Weight Loss Matters." The release does not state, however, that the CSAB will be permitted to use the ADA logo on its diet soft drink products in exchange for this multi-million dollar contribution.

While the ADA and CSAB have published releases putting a positive spin on their alliance, many public interest groups have some problems with the partnership. Although CSAB is only allowed to print ADA's logo on its diet sodas, it is still the third-largest soft drink manufacturer in the world and a major producer of sugary candy. Both categories of products contribute to the United States' problem with obesity and diabetes.

Gary Ruskin, executive director of Oregon-based Commercial Alert, a website that monitors commercial culture, called the ADA's partnership with CSAB "corrupt" and demanded that the contribution be returned to CSAB immediately. "If Cadbury Schweppes really wanted to reduce the incidence of obesity and diabetes, it would stop advertising its high-sugar products, and remove them from our nation’s schools," said Ruskin. "This is just another attempt by a major junk food corporation to obfuscate its responsibility in the epidemic of obesity and diabetes in the United States."

Another public interest group, the Corporate Crime Reporter (CCR), recently published an interview with Richard Kahn, the ADA's chief medical and scientific officer. CCR asked Kahn, "Why exactly is the ADA taking money from big corporate donors, including junk food pushers?" Kahn revealed that the association's so-called "multi-million dollar" alliance was actually only slightly more than one million dollars. In exchange for that sum of money, Cadbury-Schweppes can put the ADA's label on all of its diet soda products. According to Kahn, however, CSAB cannot use the association's logo on any product not nutritionally approved by the ADA, nor on any product specifically marketed toward diabetics.

Despite the terms of the alliance, in a press release posted on www.beverageworld.com, CSAB Senior Vice President of Marketing Jim Trebilcock implied that products with the ADA logo will be marketed toward diabetics. "I acknowledge that it is a little bit of a tricky dance here, given that we also sell sugared beverages," says Trebilcock, "but it's about communicating the choice. And it's also really about doing the right thing. And the right thing is we do offer products that are great for diabetic patients or people who are overweight and we want to get that message out, but done in a way that contributes to an overall solution."

When CCR asked Khan why ADA takes money from food companies at all, he replied, "If we want to prevent diabetes, reduce the prevalence of obesity, help find the cure for diabetes, we have to get funds from someplace." Khan further added that the ADA was not promoting any of CSAB's products, including those carrying ADA's logo. It seems possible, however, that the public might be misled to believe that ADA does in fact promote products carrying its logo, such as common Schweppes' diet beverages Diet Dr. Pepper, Diet Snapple and Diet Rite.

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this alliance is the evident change in the ADA's stance on obvious diabetes-promoting substances such as sugar. The strong connection between sugar and diabetes has been commonly accepted among the medical public. However, when CCR stated that sugar is connected to diabetes, Khan quickly denied the link, saying, "What is the evidence that sugar itself has anything to do with diabetes? There is no evidence. There is not a shred of evidence that sugar, per se, has anything to do with getting diabetes."

The ADA's website even features supposedly safe ways for diabetics to consume sugar on its "Sweeteners and Desserts" page. "If you have diabetes, that doesn’t mean you can’t eat sweets. People with diabetes can eat desserts, use sweeteners, and still keep their blood glucose (sugar) levels in their target range," the site reads. "In the past, people with diabetes were warned to avoid sugar. Experts believed eating sugar would rapidly increase blood glucose, resulting in levels that were too high. Some people even thought eating sugar caused diabetes, an idea that we know now isn’t true. Research has shown that sugar has the same effect on blood glucose levels as other carbohydrates."

Khan's statements denying that sugar can cause diabetes came in the same week that the Journal of Pediatrics published a study blaming much of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes on over-consumption of sugary sodas. The study found that sugared sodas contribute about 20 teaspoons of sugar per day to the diets of American teenagers.

Although he did not state that sugar is connected to diabetes, Khan did admit that weight is connected to diabetes. Khan said that calories (not sugar) are connected to the disease, and that weight is simply a measure of calories in and calories out. According to Khan, whether those calories come from sugar, fat or protein is unimportant. If more calories go in than come out, obesity will occur, which can lead to the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Throughout the interview, whenever CCR made a connection between sugar, or sugary soda, and diabetes, Khan quickly mentioned a different, equally bad or even worse food for diabetics than sugar or soda, referring to foods such as bacon cheeseburgers or doughnuts. Khan also repeatedly pressed the idea that the ADA only approved of diet and sugar-free foods and drinks, such as CSAB's diet sodas, which contain aspartame, a substance highly debated for its safety. When CCR asked for the ADA's official position on the safety of aspartame, Khan replied, "I don’t think that there is any artificial sweetener on the market that has been shown to be unsafe."

Russell L. Blaylock, MD, author of "Health and Nutrition Secrets" disagrees. Dr. Blaylock writes, "Diabetics who drink large amounts of aspartame-sweetened drinks are more likely to go blind. Aspartame is composed of the excitotoxin aspartic acid, methanol (also a known eye toxin) and the amino acid phenylalanine. Given this evidence, then, why do the American Diabetes Association and thousands of doctors encourage their diabetic patients to use aspartame? At least where the American Diabetes Association is concerned, it may have something to do with the fact that the organization has received large monetary contributions from Monsanto, the manufacturer of NutraSweet®!"

This forms an interesting cycle. The ADA gets money from Monsanto and, suddenly, no research can be found on the negative effects of aspartame. Although the ADA website assures readers that sugar is actually safe for diabetics to consume and that there is no research to the contrary, it specifically urges diabetics to replace sugar with artificial sweeteners. "The low-calorie sweeteners in the United States all underwent extensive testing before they were approved," the ADA site reads. "Results showed that low-calorie sweeteners are safe for everyone, including children and pregnant women." Similarly, the ADA has now accepted money from CSAB, and no research can afterwards be found on the negative effects of sugar. While this change in attitude appears suspicious, Khan did admit that type 2 diabetes has become an "epidemic" and that childhood type 2 diabetes is a "serious problem."

According to "Life without Bread" authors Christian B. Allan and Wolfgang Lutz, "Diabetes is currently the only noninfectious disease designated by the World Health Organization as an epidemic. The International Diabetes Federation and the American Diabetes Association estimate that more than 15 million people in the United States and at least 100 million people worldwide have type 2 diabetes."

Diabetes is an epidemic of frightening proportions. What can be done? According to Khan, little to nothing. The ADA publicly supports Senator Ted Kennedy's (D — Mass.) proposed legislation restricting children's access to junk food during school via vending machines, but Khan said that the ADA would not outright support an additional tax on sodas as Tennessee, Arkansas and West Virginia have already done. According to Khan, the problem of obesity cannot be solved by singling out soda for taxation over other junk foods, such as cheeseburgers and doughnuts.

Although the ADA does not actually support taxing soda, the association does support "considering" taxation. After all, who's to say which foods deserve to be taxed? Khan explained, "Before anyone starts taxing anything, we ought to look at the entire food supply and ask: Can we distinguish good foods from bad foods?" Many scientists seem to believe we can, and they seemed to have unanimously condemned soda to the "bad foods" category.

Perhaps other questions need asking, such as: Why accept money from companies that raise the question of ethics within the ADA? Why should the public trust an organization to designate good nutritional choices when that very same organization makes an alliance with and accepts money from a junk food company? Regarding the financial aspect of this issue, Khan said that only seven percent of the ADA's total budget comes from large corporations. Is seven percent of a $215 million budget worth calling many years of research and public trust into question? Better yet, is the slightly more than a million dollar contribution from CSAB worth it?

The ADA claims that its objective in the partnership with CSAB is to put Cadbury Schweppes' money to use in programs educating the public about diabetes and proper foods; yet, 30 to 40 percent of the ADA's budget already goes to prevention and education programs, according to Khan. Is it worth risking the denigration of ADA's ethical standing for less than two million dollars from CSAB? According to Larry Ellingson, the ADA's Chair of the Board, it is. He says, "CSAB is taking an important step by demonstrating that a company can lend its infrastructure, marketing tools and consumer connections to assist an organization like ADA in extending the reach of its messages. We hope this will serve as a model for other industries."

A model? Ruskin sure hopes that's not the case. In fact, he's disgusted with the ADA's actions enough to elicit a comparison to the phony defenders of the tobacco industry. “Saying that sugar has nothing to do with diabetes is like saying that tobacco has nothing to do with emphysema,” said Ruskin. “The American Diabetes Association has been so corrupted that they have sunk to the mentality of ‘tobacco scientists’ who denied the link between tobacco and lung cancer.”

 The Experts Speak on Sugar and Diabetes

In the early 1800s the per capita consumption of sugar (sucrose) was about 12 pounds a year. Today in the United States, the per capita consumption of sugar is more than 150 pounds a year. For every person who consumes only 5 pounds of sugar, there is another who eats 295 pounds annually (Challem et al. 2000).
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 662

In countries where people eat a diet low in fat and sugar and high in whole foods such as unrefined grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, diabetes is almost nonexistent. When they move to the U.S., their diabetes risk skyrockets. Tragically, as Western "nutrition free" processed and fast foods such as McDonalds®, and soft drinks such as Coca-Cola® and Pepsi® are introduced to Third World countries, their rates of diabetes are rapidly rising. It is estimated that by the year 2010, some 40 percent of Americans 65 or older will have adult-onset diabetes.
Prescription Alternatives by Earl Mindell RPh PhD and Virginia Hopkins MA, page 405

Refined sugar, and simple sugars (corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, white grape juice concentrate, etc.) in general, place stress on our blood sugar control and other body control mechanisms. When high-sugar foods are eaten alone, blood sugar levels rise quickly, producing a heightened release of insulin. Eating foods high in simple sugars is usually harmful to blood sugar control—especially in hypoglycemics and diabetics. Sugar also has a detrimental effect on mood, premenstrual syndrome, and many other health conditions, especially when combined with caffeine.
Encyclopedia Of Natural Medicine by Michael T Murray MD Joseph L Pizzorno ND, page 54

The glut of sugar can also cause kidney disease, eye problems, and severe nerve damage to the lower limbs and other parts of the body. (People with diabetes account for more than 50 percent of the lower limb amputations performed in the United States each year.)
Alternative Cures by Bill Gottlieb, page 212

White refined sugar, or sucrose, drains your liver, imbalances your adrenal glands, overtaxes your nerves, and depletes your B vitamins. It contributes to allergies, arthritis, premenstrual syndrome, and abnormal hormonal fluctuations in both women and men. It is the root cause of functional hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). It accelerates the onset of adult diabetes (high blood sugar). Perhaps most commonly, by setting up the body's energy level to hit a false peak and then crash back down, it causes chronic fatigue and an unstable metabolism.
Food Swings by Barnet Meltzer MD, page 42

The people who make those awful bottled "natural" fruit drinks and teas aren't going to like this, but it's possible that the steep rise in our consumption of high-fructose corn syrup has contributed to the rise in diabetes by depleting chromium. (As our consumption of high-fructose corn syrup has risen 250 percent in the past 15 years, our rate of diabetes has increased approximately 45 percent in about the same time period.) According to studies done at the Agriculture Department's Human Nutrition Resource Center, fructose consumption causes a drop in chromium, raises LDL "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides, and impairs immune system function.
Prescription Alternatives by Earl Mindell RPh PhD and Virginia Hopkins MA, page 418

When the pancreas becomes exhausted by the constant demand of producing insulin to convert all that sugar into heat and energy, it finally malfunctions and the excess sugar then pollutes the bloodstream. And without sufficient insulin to process glucose, the body is deprived of an essential food and the diabetic remains hungry no matter how much he or she eats. Sugar accumulates in the bloodstream faster than the body can excrete it through the urine, and the victim is literally poisoned. He becomes tired, weak, nauseated, and depressed. Sugar also plays havoc with our teeth. It feeds the bacteria normally present in the mouth, causing them to multiply. This leads to plaque formation, cavities, and gum disease.
Power Aging by Gary Null, page 39

Does sugar contribute to diabetes and coronary heart disease? Dr. John Yudkin, considered one of the world's leading authorities on sugar in the diet, concludes that the trouble sugar causes goes considerably beyond tooth decay and extra pounds. For example, sugar causes irregularities in the insulin response; sugar causes diabeteslike damage to the kidneys; it contributes to degeneration of the retina; it raises blood fat levels; and it increases the stickiness of the blood platelets, a common precursor of heart trouble.
Complete Guide Health Nutrition by Gary Null, page 110

Dr. James Anderson at the University of Kentucky Medical School popularized the high complex carbohydrate, high fiber diet for the treatment of diabetes. With this diet, about 70% of diabetic patients were able to stop insulin and oral diabetic therapy. This program of bread, pasta, fruit, and vegetables works because fat interferes with the action of insulin while high carbohydrate foods intensify the action of insulin. Beans seem to be particularly effective in this diet. The carbohydrates used must be natural. Whole-wheat flour is good; white flour is bad.
A Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products That Work By James Howenstine MD, page 113

You might think that replacing white sugar with honey, molasses, and other "healthy" sweeteners is the way to go. Unfortunately, just like refined white sugar, almost all natural sweeteners have a high glycemic index and provoke a sharp glucose release. The one "natural" sweetener that is low on the glycemic index is fructose. However, fructose poses problems of its own, especially for diabetics. It is a primary culprit in glycosylation, the chemical binding of sugars to proteins, which, as I explained in the first chapter, is one of the mechanisms behind the cascade of complications in diabetes.
Reversing diabetes by Julian Whitaker MD, page 125

High sugar intake increases adrenal activity 10-12 times (causing high blood sugar itself). Excess Calorie, fat, and sugar consumption leads to Insulin resistance. An estimated 2/3 of diabetes is from overweight, obesity and high blood sugar leading to fewer Insulin receptor sites. Remedial low Calories means less Insulin and more Insulin receptor sites. High blood sugar causes Zinc deficiency, lowered healing. Under stress/Mineral deprivation, the body can catabolize up to 50% of its own Protein tissues for breakdown to sugars. High blood sugar with acidosis from deficiency of intrinsic Insulin causes deposits in blood vessels precursing Brain stroke and/or heart attack; and is usually accompanied by hepatic/liver disease that prevents Protein assimilation in the liver, assimilable forms of Amino acids, and Insulin-building Amino acids in the pancreas.
Anti-Aging Manual by Joseph B Marion, page 243

As your blood sugar rises, all sorts of things can go wrong with your body. But many of these complications take years to develop. High blood sugar makes your blood sticky, and this stickiness can trigger many biochemical changes. Most notably, it increases the number of free radicals, unstable oxygen molecules that damage your blood vessels and clog them with cholesterol-rich deposits. This process, called atherosclerosis, sets the stage for heart disease, kidney failure, eye problems, and a nervous-system condition called diabetic neuropathy.
Blended Medicine by Michael Castleman, page 11

Chromium is so important in helping glucose travel from the bloodstream to the cells that adequate amounts may really help your condition if you suffer from hypoglycemia or diabetes. In fact, there is evidence that one contributing factor in the development of a blood sugar disorder is an imbalance or malfunction of your chromium-insulin mechanism. If you suffer from hypoglycemia, your problem is that you produce too much insulin, with a corresponding quick drop in blood sugar. Perhaps your body is responding to a diet of refined carbohydrates (sugar and white flour), which do not supply enough chromium for proper metabolism. If you have eaten such nonfoods for a long time, your pancreas may simply be worn out from overproducing insulin to cope with them, and at the same time your stores of chromium may be depleted. The end result may be that your pancreas has exhausted itself trying to keep up with your diet, and can no longer produce insulin at all. You may then find yourself at the next stage of blood sugar disorder: diabetes.
Complete Guide to Health Nutrition by Gary Null, page 397

An article in Science magazine reported that the greatest cause of cataracts is the body's inability to cope with food sugars. The worst offender is lactose, followed by refined white sugar. Simple sugars include: table sugar and corn syrup (sucrose), honey (glucose), milk sugar (lactose), fruit sugar (fructose), and xylose, the sugar-like substance often used to sweeten "sugar-free" diabetic candies, chewing gum, and cookies. Recommendation: Sharply reduce or even eliminate your intake of sucrose and xylose products. Let the dietary sugars you do eat come mainly from fresh fruit and dairy sources, keeping the total amount of even these sugars at 30% to 50% of your daily carbohydrate intake.
Doctors Complete Guide Vitamins Minerals by Mary D Eades MD, page 244

Any substance that can do the bodily harm that sugar can do is obviously capable of contributing to the progress of major degenerative diseases, too. For example, sugar alters both the blood sugar levels and the body's normal response to insulin. These two changes are commonly observed in victims of maturity onset diabetes.
Complete Guide to Health Nutrition by Gary Null, page 108

White refined sugar is also a culprit in everything from common colds and flu, bronchitis, sinus infections, and digestive difficulties to breast cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and Candida. By weakening the immune system, it increases the risk of degenerative illnesses and infections. In addition to imbalancing the pancreas and liver, it also attacks the central nervous system. It kills brain cells. Avoid this vicious anti-nutrient in all its guises: candies, chocolates, cake, ice cream, donuts, pastries, jams and jellies, and artificial sweeteners such as mannitol, saccharin, Equal™, and Nutrasweet™. And watch out for the refined white sugar present in brown sugar, turbinado sugar, and high-fructose corn syrup.
Food Swings by Barnet Meltzer MD, page 46

Therefore any overconsumption of sugar—above all other things—is very likely to precipitate not only diabetes in the first place, but the still more dreadful coronary thrombosis in the second.
Complete Guide to Health Nutrition by Gary Null, page 107

As your blood sugar levels increase, all sorts of things go wrong in your body. Basically, all that extra sugar gums up your blood vessels, setting the stage for the major complications of type 2 diabetes: heart disease, stroke, eye problems (including blindness), kidney failure, nervous system impairment, and wound infections or ulcers (often requiring foot or leg amputation).
Anti-Aging Prescriptions by James Duke PhD, page 342

Sugar-sweetened soft drinks and confections are not permissible for prediabetic or diabetic patients, but the alternative, artificially sweetened beverages and foodstuffs, may not be either. Allegations have implicated aspartame as a potential risk factor for several disorders, although this remains a controversial issue. Many artificial sweeteners (marketed as a sugar substitute) may actually contain sugar, masquerading as dextrose and maltodextrin.
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 663

Caffeine raises blood sugar levels and disrupts the blood sugar-regulating effect of insulin. In fact, high-dose caffeine administration (the equivalent of six cups of coffee) has been shown to produce transient insulin resistance that is very similar to Type II diabetes.
Caffeine Blues By Stephen Cherniske MS, page 199

High levels of glucose or other sugars in the blood frequently damage the eyes, leading to cataracts or damage to the retinas. Damage to the kidneys or nerves is common in those with diabetes, and the risk of heart disease is much higher.
The Omega Solution by Jonathan Goodman ND, page 164

The obese diabetic may first notice strange things happening to his or her feet; they may tingle, or they may be numb. When they are bruised or scratched, they may take a long time to heal. This is because excess sugar in the blood has damaged vital nerve endings and, in the worst case, caused atherosclerosis, leading to reduced blood flow to the limbs. The consequent numbness can mask a severe injury, which can become infected, eventually leading to gangrene and amputation.
Fat Land by Greg Critser, page 141

The average American consumes about 150 pounds of sugar each year. This accounts for 550 to 650 calories a day, or almost three pounds per week. In 2001, Americans spent $21 billion on candy alone—more than the gross national products of Lithuania, Costa Rica, and Mozambique combined, according to the Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter. The empty calories in sugar contribute directly to overweight, diabetes, tooth decay, and overall poor health. One in twenty of the world's adult population now has some form of diabetes, a disease associated with obesity, poor eating habits, and a sedentary lifestyle. More than half of American adults are overweight. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relates that the incidence of type 2 diabetes (formerly known as adult-onset diabetes) has risen by 33 percent in the past decade and three out of every fifty American adults currently have this diet-related condition. Complications related to diabetes are the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 205

People who are hypoglycemic or diabetic shouldn't risk the blood sugar swings that caffeine causes. Decaf can still affect a sensitive person's blood sugar levels. Diabetics can run a simple experiment on themselves by testing their blood sugar before and after a cup of decaf coffee and watching the blood sugar rise then fall within several hours. Hypoglycemics need only to observe their energy levels dip one to two hours after drinking decaf to realize that no coffee is the best choice for them.
Caffeine Blues By Stephen Cherniske MS, page 305

After eating sugary low-fiber foods like doughnuts in the morning, there is a reactive low blood sugar phenomenon later in the day, often experienced as the afternoon "slump." Fiber foods, on the other hand, help stabilize blood sugar by slowing down the release of sugars and insulin. This reduces the highs and lows of sugars and insulin. In this way, fiber foods protect against risk factors for diabetes, and help maintain optimal energy throughout the day.
Healthy Digestion the Natural Way by Dr Lindsey Berkson, page 25

Diabetes was a very rare illness in the United States in 1880, with only 2.8 persons out of every 100,000 having diabetes. Now at least 10% of the populace has diabetes and when you look for early signs of diabetes (hyperinsulinemia) that number is certain to be much higher.
A Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products That Work By James Howenstine MD, page 96

People with diabetes who take chromium should be under medical supervision, since their insulin dosage may need to be reduced as blood sugar drops.
Healing With Vitamins by Alice Feinstein, page 30

Refined sugar, because so many nutrients are removed from it, is believed to be more likely to produce diabetes than unrefined sugarcane, which is rich in the glucose tolerance factor, chromium. Investigators tell us that even though the South African diet is rich in raw sugarcane, diabetes is rare among the workers who cut and eat it daily. This may also be due to the fact that the sugar is eaten in its high-fiber natural state, or that these workers are exercising strenuously each day.
Complete Guide Health Nutrition by Gary Null, page 123

Bleached white flour: Not only have the bran and germ been stripped away, but bleached flour also contains a substance from the flour bleach (alloxan) which causes diabetes in animals. Unbleached white flour should also be avoided since it is stripped of essential nutrients.
The Enzyme Cure by Lita Lee with Lisa Turner & Burton Goldberg, page 123

Fructose is a highly reactive molecule that readily attaches to proteins, changing their structure and interfering with their normal activity. Studies show that fructose accelerates glycosylation, damaging proteins to a significantly greater degree than sucrose or glucose." Yet we consume this harmful sweetener like it is going out of style. In a highly processed form (high-fructose corn syrup), it is the primary ingredient in soft drinks, sales of which have gone through the roof in recent years. More than 25 percent of the beverages Americans consume are sodas. In 1997 Americans purchased 14 billion gallons of "liquid candy"—more than 576 12-ounce servings per person per year!
Reversing diabetes by Julian Whitaker MD, page 125

There is no doubt that the refined oils, hydrogenated fats, and a severe lack of the Omega 3 fatty acids are contributing to our diabetes epidemic. The control of blood sugar depends on adequate amounts of the minerals zinc, chromium, vanadium, and magnesium, which are lacking in the foods grown in soil treated with Phosphorus, Nitrogen, and Potassium fertilizer used by most farmers. We are being poisoned by pesticides, lack of essential fatty acids, toxic trans fat isomers and toxic additives. Diabetics have the additional problem that they are losing large quantities of minerals and vitamins in their urine whenever their blood sugars are elevated.
A Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products That Work By James Howenstine MD, page 100

Studies have shown that people who exercise cut their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 24 percent. That's because exercise is insulin's best friend: It lends a helping hand, moving sugar out of the bloodstream and into the cells.
Alternative Cures by Bill Gottlieb, page 212

Alcohol, caffeine and fruit juices have the same affect on the glucose. We caution all diabetics to avoid not only sugar, but caffeine as well. One cup of coffee can elevate the glucose level enough to need three units of insulin to counteract it.
It's All In Your Head By Hal A Huggins DDS, page 84

Fat, especially saturated fat, may be as dangerous for diabetics as sugar. Frequent small meals and the use of olive oil instead of butter or cheese may help control blood-sugar and cholesterol levels. Type I diabetics must coordinate the timing of meals with insulin administration.
Graedons Best Medicine by Joe Graedon & Dr Terasa Graedon, page 318

Diabetes is all about sugar—the sugar in our bodies known as blood sugar or blood glucose. Every cell in our bodies must have a constant source of glucose in order to fuel metabolism. Our cells use glucose to power processes such as growth and repair. When we eat a meal the digestive system converts much of our food into glucose which is released into the bloodstream. The hormone insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas gland, moves glucose from the blood and funnels it into the cells so it can be used as fuel. If the cells are unable to get adequate amounts of glucose, they can literally starve to death. As they do, tissues and organs begin to degenerate. This is what happens in diabetes.
Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil by Bruce Fife ND, page 109

Fructose is a natural monosaccharide that occurs in fruits and honey. In whole fruit, it is an excellent energy source. Pure fructose may be derived from fruit, but this is not financially expedient. Commercial fructose is available in either liquid or crystal form. Liquid fructose is made by splitting the two components of corn syrup. High-fructose corn syrup may contain as much as 55 percent-sucrose and (diabetics, please note) it requires insulin for its metabolism. Crystalline fructose is made from intensely refined cane and beet sugar.
New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood, page 136

Sugar is another dietary disaster.. In addition to causing dental caries [cavities], depressing the immune system, and providing a lot of empty calories that contribute to weight gain, sugar has other detrimental effects, especially for diabetics.
Miracle Of Stevia by James A May, page 226

When you eat starch, sugar, or protein, your body breaks down and absorbs the nutrients in the food, and your blood sugar rises. This rise in blood sugar signals your pancreas to produce and release insulin, the hormone that acts to return your blood sugar to normal by driving it into the tissues to be used or stored. In some people, the rise in blood sugar stimulates the release of too much insulin, which drives too much blood sugar into the tissues, leaving the level in the blood too low. In medicine, we call this condition hypoglycemia. When the blood sugar swings wildly, first hurtling upward then plummeting too low, you may suffer symptoms of nausea, clammy sweats, dizziness, muscle cramping, and even fainting. We refer to these unpleasant symptoms accompanying the falling blood sugar level as "reactive" hypoglycemia. Symptoms come not from the low level itself but from the rapid change. A stable low blood sugar— one that's low but is always about the same degree of low—rarely causes symptoms. People with overactive insulin and reactive hypoglycemia often develop adult-onset diabetes mellitus
Doctors Complete Guide Vitamins Minerals by Mary D Eades MD, page 382

People with diabetes should eat at least three meals a day at regular intervals to keep their blood sugar levels within normal range. Meals and snacks that combine carbohydrates with proteins or fats will have the longest-lasting effects on blood sugar levels because protein and fat take longer to raise blood sugar than carbohydrates do.
Foods That Fight Disease by Laurie Deutsch Mozian MS RD, page 47

In fact, U.S. government statistics for this time period clearly demonstrate that along with the dramatic decrease in dietary fat intake (from forty percent to thirty-three percent of our caloric intake) there was also a dramatic increase in the intake of refined carbohydrates, not only sugar but white flour. There is no doubt in my mind that this increase in refined carbohydrates has been spurred by the media attention given to the Food Guide Pyramid, created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which made six to eleven daily servings of these wheat derivatives the basis of the pyramid. I believe that the Food Guide Pyramid's recommendations have directly contributed to the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes we now face in this country.
Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution by Robert C Atkins MD, page 13

For diabetics, excess sugar becomes a toxin in the system clogging up the respiration of cells and preventing the kidney from doing its job.
Building Wellness with DMG by Roger V Kendall PhD, page 136

Excess sugar consumption can suppress the immune system; upset the body's mineral balance; produce an acidic stomach; and cause hyperactivity, anxiety, concentration difficulties, and heart disease (by raising insulin levels), as well as fatigue, weight gain, depression, and arthritis. According to Nancy Appleton, Ph.D., author of Lick the Sugar Habit (Avery/Penguin Putnam, 1996), there are seventy-eight metabolic consequences to eating sugar. Dietary sugars feed harmful intestinal yeasts, toxic organisms, fungi, and all forms of cellular cancer. Bill Misner Ph.D., sports nutritionist and author, has said, "Because sugar is devoid of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and has such a deteriorating effect on the endocrine system, major researchers and major health organizations (American Dietetic Association and American diabetic Association) agree that sugar consumption in America is one of the three major causes of degenerative disease." The rise in type 2 diabetes cases in young people is so great that experts are calling it an "emerging epidemic."
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 205

In the early stage of this illness, high levels of insulin are a warning that eventually high blood sugars will appear. Elevated cholesterol and triglyceride values, obesity, hypertension, and the clinical appearance of vascular damage are all clues that point toward a pre-diabetic state.
A Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products That Work By James Howenstine MD, page 105

The risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer can be reduced through the simple act of substituting whole grains for refined grains. Refined foods such as white flour and white rice are stripped of the fiber and nutrients that whole grains still possess. The first word on the label must be whole—don't be fooled by artificial brown or caramel coloring.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 108

Man-refined sugar is eight times as concentrated as flour, and eight times as unnatural—perhaps eight times as dangerous. It is the unnaturalness that deceives the tongue and appetite, leading to overconsumption. Who would eat 5 pounds of sugar beets a day? Yet the equivalent in refined sugar is a mere 5 ounces.
Sugar Blues by William Dufiy, page 217

Studies have shown that biotin supplementation can be helpful for improving blood-sugar control in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Natural Physicians Healing Therapies by Mark Stengler ND, page 58

The human body was not designed to handle the amount of refined sugar, salt, saturated fats, and other harmful food compounds that many people in the United States and other Western countries feed it. The result is that a metabolic syndrome emerges: elevated insulin levels, obesity, elevated blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and high blood pressure.
Encyclopedia Of Natural Medicine by Michael T Murray MD Joseph L Pizzorno ND, page 554

Convincing evidence shows how large amounts of refined and concentrated sugars overwork the pancreas, causing wide swings in blood sugar levels.
Bartrams Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Thomas Bartram, page 241

Yudkin tells us that the kidney is damaged identically by either a high sugar intake or by inducing a diabetic state. We know this because laboratory experiments using rodents have accomplished that astonishing result. These alterations were actually seen by routine biopsy as well as by microscopic and electron-microscopic methods.
Complete Guide Health Nutrition by Gary Null, page 108

Coronary disease has heretofore been regarded as a "complication" of diabetes. Both coronary disease and diabetes have a common cause: White sugar and white flour.
Sugar Blues by William Dufiy, page 218

Type II diabetes usually occurs after the age of forty-five, frequently in overweight people, and ranges in severity from mere insulin resistance to insulin dependence. Occasionally, children are diagnosed with type II diabetes. It frequently can be controlled with diet and exercise. It is diagnosed when two consecutive blood tests taken while fasting reveal that the level of blood sugar is 126 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter) or higher.
Foods That Fight Disease by Laurie Deutsch Mozian MS RD, page 143

PROZAC Panacea or Pandora by Ann Blake Tracy PhD, page 327

There is some evidence that a high consumption of sugar-sweetened foods may lead not only to impotence and premature ejaculation, but to unrealistic sexual attitudes and expectations, strong urges, strange fantasies, and even crimes of sexual violence.
Food And Healing by Anne Marie Colbin, page 300

90 percent of Type II diabetics [are] obese. Even in nondiabetic individuals, large body-fat gains often result in carbohydrate intolerance, higher blood insulin, and insulin insensitivity in body tissues. Progressive insulin insensitivity is now thought to be the main factor in the development of this most common type of diabetes. Many obese diabetics are able to restore normal blood sugar levels simply by achieving ideal body-fat level.
Herbal Defense by Ralph T Golan ND, page 25

The whole problem of sugar was compounded by the low-fat messages we were wrongly bombarded with during the 1980s and 1990s. To make a low-fat product taste good, manufacturers add lots of sugar. Now, in the United States, the aisles in the supermarket are crammed with low-fat or diet cookies and crackers, ice cream, frozen cakes and pies, soft drinks and white bread filled with sugar. The United States has "low-fatted" and "dieted" itself to a raging epidemic of obesity and diabetes.
Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution by Robert C Atkins MD, page 23

Type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with a lack of exercise and a poor diet—one that's low in fiber and high in sugar, fat, and animal products. It develops slowly, usually over several years, and rarely produces dramatic symptoms. For this reason, many people with type 2 diabetes have no idea that they are sick. In fact, the American diabetes Association (ADA) estimates that only half of Americans with type 2 diabetes have been diagnosed.
Blended Medicine by Michael Castleman, page 232

Although no recommended dietary allowance (RDA) has been established for chromium, at least 200 mg each day appears necessary for optimal sugar regulation. Chromium levels can be depleted by consuming refined sugars or white flour products, and by lack of exercise.
Encyclopedia Of Natural Medicine by Michael T Murray MD Joseph L Pizzorno ND, page 418

Nearly 15 million Americans have to contend with this condition. Excess sugar in the blood damages the arteries and veins and can lead to fatal heart disease and stroke. (The death rate for middle-aged people with Type 2 diabetes is twice that of middle-aged people who do not have it.)
Alternative Cures by Bill Gottlieb, page 212

Excessive consumption of sugar has recently been identified by some researchers as the single most important dietary risk factor for heart disease in women.
Reversing diabetes by Julian Whitaker MD, page 124

…the pesticides and chemicals sprayed on cane and beet sugar and the chemical bleaching process used to make "white" sugar are potentially hazardous; we are not advised about this on sugar packages or food labels.
Staying Healthy With Nutrition by Elson M Haas MD, page 463

Avoid fats, cholesterol, and sugar and keep your weight down to help prevent diabetes, which affects the heart.
Heart Disease by Burton Goldberg, page 242

The high blood sugar levels that characterize diabetes need to be controlled and kept within normal limits to reduce the long-term complications of chronic high blood sugar—premature cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and vision problems.
Foods That Fight Disease by Laurie Deutsch Mozian MS RD, page 144

The ability to maintain normal blood sugar levels is jeopardized by the lack of chromium in our soil and water supply and by a diet high in refined white sugar, flour, and junk foods.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 27

Adult-onset diabetes is a severe imbalance of this system. It is the common form of the disease, correlated with overweight and inactivity, the result not of decreased production of insulin but of increased resistance to its effects.
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 237

One of the most valuable aspects of buckwheat is its ability to help control blood sugar levels in people with adult-onset diabetes, the most common form of the disease.
New Foods For Healing by Selene Yeager, page 96

In our experience, almost everyone benefits from carbohydrate restriction, even if they have had Type 2 diabetes for years and are taking drugs to lower their glucose levels.
Life Without Bread by Christian B Allan PhD and Wolfgang Lutz MD, page 47

Diets high in simple sugars such as glucose and fructose rob the body of chromium, while those high in complex carbohydrates such as pasta preserve it.
Food Additives by Ruth Winter MS, page 124

Excessive sugar consumption is believed to be involved in a host of very common problems: hypoglycemia or hyperinsulinism, diabetes, heart disease, dental caries, high cholesterol [and] obesity.
Food And Healing by Anne Marie Colbin, page 190

Sugar has no nutritional value and is directly harmful to your health. Despite vociferous attempts to defend it, there are studies that clearly show how harmful (and even deadly in the case of diabetics) its effects can be.
Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution by Robert C Atkins MD, page 23

Accidents, Snakes, and Spiders

Respondents most fear accidents, with 29% saying getting in an accident was the scariest thought.

Here’s the breakdown:

The second biggest fear? Twenty-seven percent worried most about an encounter with an animal or a pesky insect.

About one-third could not pick a greatest fear from the set given.

Only 5% of participants said a health condition or illness was their biggest fear.

Among those who did fear a health problem, the scariest thought was getting cancer.

The survey was commissioned by the American Diabetes Association to raise awareness about the disease, which it says strikes almost 24 million adults and children in the U.S.

“Unfortunately, people don’t seem to take diabetes seriously and they don’t seem to realize that diabetes — if left untreated or poorly treated– can be a very scary disease,” Ann Albright, PhD, RD, president of health care & education at the American Diabetes Association, says in a news release.

“We don’t like to unnecessarily scare people, but the findings from this survey are alarming because diabetes is more deadly than these other fears and Americans are more likely to have a personal experience with diabetes than shark attacks or snake bites.”

Diabetes is often considered a silent disease because the symptoms can creep up slowly and may not be noticed. The ADA states that 57 million people in the U.S. are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

But the American Diabetes Association wants people to know that diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease, amputation, and blindness.

In a news release, the group also points out that since 1987, death rates from diabetes have increased, while deaths from heart disease, stroke, and cancer have fallen.

by Mike Adams

(NaturalNews) Following the release of a new study strongly correlating vitamin D deficiency with Parkinson's disease, the mainstream media (MSM) has once again gone out of its way to intentionally distort the findings of the study and mislead readers about vitamin D.