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Sugar and The Body
The average American -- this includes every man, woman, and child -- consumes approximately
32 teaspoons of sugar each day. If the sugar were taken in a natural form, this would amount to over
90 feet of sugar cane to chew. Most people are unaware of the amounts of sugar found in ordinary pastries,
desserts, drinks and snack foods. Listed below are a few of the common foods and the actual amounts of
sugar hidden in them.
A high sugar intake is implicated in elevation of triglycerides and the serum lipoprotein, which is just as
bad, if not worse, than high cholesterol in the production of heart disease. Sugar consumption has also
been associated with dental caries, gallbladder disease, diabetes, acne, and indigestion. In the book
Counsels on Diet and Foods, page 321, the following statement appears: "The less of sweet foods ...
eaten, the better; these cause disturbances in the stomach, and produce impatience and irritability in those
who accustom themselves to their use."
Another important fact about sugar has to do with disease resistance. The white blood cells with segmented
nuclei increase in numbers in the blood stream when the body has a bacterial infection. These cells destroy
bacteria. They are the body's soldiers. However, when the blood sugar level goes up, these cells get
sluggish and cannot destroy as many bacteria. (This study was done on common table sugar; honey
and syrups had a similar effect, but fresh fruits and fruit juices did not affect the ability to kill bacteria.)
EFFECT OF SUGAR INTAKE ON ABILITY OF
WHITE BLOOD CELLS TO DESTROY BACTERIA
Teaspoons of sugar eaten at one time by average adult |
Number of bacteria destroyed by each WBC |
Percentage decrease in ability to destroy bacteria |
0 |
14 |
0 |
6 |
10 |
25 |
12 |
5.5 |
60 |
18 |
2 |
85 |
24 |
1 |
92 |
Uncontrolled |
1 |
92 |
Diabetic |
* |
* |
COMMON SUGAR CONTENTS
Chocolate bar, average size |
7 |
Apple pie , 1/6 pie |
12 |
Chocolate fudge, 1 1/2 square |
4 |
Pumpkin pie, 1/6 pie |
10 |
Marshmallow, 1 average |
1.5 |
Chocolate milk, 1 cup |
6 |
Chewing gum, 1 stick |
.05 |
Cocoa, 1 cup |
4 |
Chocolate cake, 11/2" piece |
15 |
Banana split |
25 |
Doughnut, glazed |
8 |
Jam, I T |
3 |
Brownie, 2" X 2" X ¨ú" |
3 |
Honey, 1 T |
3 |
Ice cream, 1/2 cup |
5-6 |
Jelly, 1 T |
2.5 |
Sherbet, 1/2 cup |
6-8 |
Soft drinks,regular, 12 oz |
10 |
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