9) CONTROLLING BLOOD SUGAR WITH DIET
e) Other Sugars
Sucrose ("table sugar", "sugar" or "cane sugar") is the most common sugar in use in America. Sucrose is definitely detrimental to anyone with diabetes, being just as damaging as pure blood sugar (glucose). The sugar industry keeps pointing out that sucrose has a relatively moderate glycemic index. Most indices place sucrose at 60 to 75. But in actuality the protein poisoning capacity of sucrose is just as high if not higher than pure blood sugar (glucose) at 100 glycemic index. Sucrose breaks down rapidly into blood sugar (glucose) and fructose, so its moderate glycemic index is misleading. The problem is that the glycemic index only measures the rise in blood sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream; it doesn't measure the rise in fructose in the bloodstream. And fructose is just as damaging to the body as is blood sugar (glucose). So the actual "glycemic index" of table sugar should be over 100, i.e. very damaging to the body.
There is another sugar of interest, namely galactose. Galactose is made by the body from lactose the sugar found in milk and does cause severe protein poisoning just like fructose. But it is made relatively slowly from lactose, and doesn't peak in the blood stream, so it is not as damaging as fructose. Still, the consumption of milk products should probably be kept down because of this sugar. Again, some physicians say to avoid milk and to eat only cheese and whole fat yogurt. But cheese and whole fat yogurt have large amounts of calories in them, which don't help one lose any weight and the calories are saturated fats, which are not good for the heart. Whole fat yogurt typically has large amounts of high fructose corn syrup in it. Paleolithic man probably did not eat any dairy at all (he didn't have cows!) so we have no problem with individuals avoiding dairy as long as they supply themselves with vitamin D from another source. Large numbers of individuals with type 2 diabetes are actually at least slightly lactose intolerant (lactose is the sugar in milk), giving individuals another reason to avoid dairy foods. Lactose intolerance is especially prevalent as a person grows older. It is also very prevalent in any population not decended from northern europeans.
Some exerpts from Wikipedia give some incite into the politics of sugar:
Many countries subsidize sugar production heavily. The European Union, the United States, Japan and many developing countries subsidize domestic production and maintain high tariffs on imports. Sugar prices in these countries have often exceeded prices on the international market by up to three times; today, with world market sugar futures prices currently strong, such prices typically exceed world prices by two times.
In 2004, the WTO sided with a group of cane sugar exporting nations (led by Brazil and Australia) and ruled the EU sugar-régime and the accompanying ACP-EU Sugar Protocol (whereby a group of African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries receive preferential access to the European sugar market) illegal. In response to this and to other rulings of the WTO, and owing to internal pressures on the EU sugar-régime, the European Commission proposed on 22 June 2005 a radical reform of the EU sugar-régime, cutting prices by 39% and eliminating all EU sugar exports. The African, Caribbean, Pacific and least developed country sugar exporters reacted with dismay to the EU sugar proposals. On 25 November 2005 the Council of the EU agreed to cut EU sugar prices by 36% as from 2009. In 2007 it seemed that the U.S. Sugar Program could become the next target for reform. However, some commentators expected heavy lobbying from the U.S. sugar industry, which donated $2.7 million to US House and US Senate incumbents in the 2006 US election, more than any other group of US food-growers. Especially prominent lobbyists include The Fanjul Brothers, so-called "sugar barons" who made the single largest individual contributions of soft money to both the Democratic and Republican parties in the political system of the United States of America.
The Sugar Association has launched a campaign to promote sugar over artificial substitutes. The Association now aggressively challenges many common beliefs regarding negative side effects of sugar consumption. The campaign aired a high-profile television commercial during the 2007 Prime Time Emmy Awards on FOX Television. The Sugar Association uses the trademark tagline "Sugar: sweet by nature."
Money and politics speak loudly. Sugar of all forms and high fructose corn syrup are detrimental to the health of anyone, let alone an individual with type 2 diabetes. It is no wonder that you can read articles proclaiming that sugar is benefical to health because it is "natural". There are even commercials on TV telling the nation that high fructose corn syrup is "natural" and benign. That is hogwash. Our ancient ancestors did not have sugar and did just fine without it. People with type 2 diabetes need to avoid all sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup, period.
Current Chapter: 9) CONTROLLING BLOOD SUGAR WITH DIET
a) Blood Sugar Control
b) Individualized Reactions
c) What a Diary Tells a Person with Diabetes
d) Protein Poisoning by Fruit Sugar
e) What are "Acceptable Fruits
f) Other Sugars
g) Best Mix of Protein, Carbohydrates, and Fats
h) Low Carbohydrate Diets
i) Fitting the Diet to the Individual
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