In his monthly column, Dr. Kent Herbert answers your questions related to health care matters. Simply submit your question to marylou@newfalconherald.com. Itís your chance to ask the doc.Does eating a lot of refined sugar ñ cookies, candy and cakes ñ contribute to diabetes or other diseases, even cancer?Itís true that, as Americans, we eat way too much sugar. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that most people eat no more than 10 teaspoons of sugar daily. However, a study by the USDA found that the average American consumes 20 teaspoons daily, compared with an average of 11 daily teaspoons in the 1970s.Most of this increase can be attributed to the increase in consumption of soft drinks and prepared and fast foods. Many foods today are so packed with sugar than one can reach these levels with one or two items. A 12-ounce can of non-diet soft drink, for example, contains approximately 11 teaspoons of sugar.Not all sugar is bad. Natural sugars found in fruits and carbohydrates from whole grains are broken down in the body to glucose. Glucose is the basic unit of energy in the body and is important to maintain proper body functioning. These types of sugars are found in food such as fruits, brown rice and whole wheat breads and are rich in other nutrients. Natural sugars tend to be broken down slowly by the body and lead to consistent blood-sugar levels. Refined sugars, on the other hand, are released quickly into the body and lead to rapidly fluctuating blood sugar levels.Many health concerns can be blamed on sugar consumption. Most occur because sugary foods provide empty calories, supplying energy but little else. If you look at the nutritional label of almost any high-sugar food, youíll see they provide a lot of calories but very few essential vitamins and minerals. For example, the increase in consumption of soft drinks has resulted in a decrease in the average consumption of milk. Therefore, American adults tend to be deficient in calcium and have increasing rates of osteoporosis. Also, refined sugars have replaced fiber intake for many people, and fiber is essential for the prevention of colon cancer.Eating sugar also can lead to metabolic diseases such as diabetes. When one eats sugar, the body releases insulin, a hormone which acts to lower blood sugar. Eating more sugar leads to the release of more insulin, and the body tends to become resistant to the actions of insulin. Eventually the body is unable to control the rising blood sugar levels, leading to diabetes. Because sugar is less filling than other foods, those who eat it tend to consume more calories, leading to obesity. Obesity itself can then raise the risk of getting diabetes.There has been a lot of attention recently on the connection between eating refined sugar and cancer. One recent study showed that those who daily ate more than five slices of white bread, which contains high amounts of refined sugar, had twice the risk of kidney cancer compared to those who ate less than one and one-half slices daily. Similar studies have shown a link to lung and breast cancer. It is important to note that these studies do not say that eating sugar causes cancer, only that there is an association between the two. Some people feel that the surge in blood sugar from eating refined sugar feeds the cancer, and other people feel that those who eat a lot of sugar are missing essential nutrients that prevent cancer. Either way, it is increasingly clear that high sugar consumption puts one at risk for cancer.What about artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet and aspartame? Although they are relatively safe and are supposed to replace sugar, studies show that those who use them tend to have a higher intake of sugar overall than those who donít. Therefore, it is best to reduce your use of sweeteners in general.When looking at a nutritional label, focus on the carbohydrates. These include the complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, as well as fiber and refined sugars. Labels now are required to separate out the amount of sugar and fiber included in the carbohydrates. It is best to choose foods that have very low sugar levels and high fiber levels. If a whole grain or brown variety of a food is available, such as wheat bread or brown rice, it is naturally better for you.Sugar can be very addictive and difficult to reduce, but doing so will improve your health significantly.Board-Certified Family PhysicianFalcon Family Medicine7641 McLaughlin Rd.Falcon, CO 80831(719) 494-2006(719) 494-8448 faxwww.FalconFamilyMedicine.com
