The holiday season is winding down, and thanks to gifts from loved ones and friends, you might end up with a huge stash of candy, cookies, and other treats. Most often, sugar flows so freely during this time of year that it always seems to be a “white Christmas” – white with sugar crystals!
While it’s OK to cheat on rare occasions, the widespread and continual use of sugar will certainly take a heavy toll on your health. One “heavy” toll from eating too much sugar can be weight gain. But gaining weight from consuming a “food” that is high in calories and devoid of nutrients is not the only way that sugar affects your health.
Every Body System is Affected by Sugar
Refined white sugar damages your health from head to toe, negatively affecting your brain, your digestive, endocrine, cardiovascular, and immune systems, and even your skin as it contributes to eczema. Sugar also causes water retention, kidney stones, and liver disease. And sugar can damage your pancreas, which gets exhausted as it has to put out so much insulin in response to the sweet onslaught. And we haven’t even talked about the role of sugar in tooth decay!
There just doesn’t seem to be a body system that is not affected by sugar.
Avoiding Sugar
Given the widespread, negative effects of sugar on your body, it makes sense to avoid it. There are all kinds of reasons for doing so, but most of them can be condensed into three major categories. Today we’re going to look at these top three reasons to avoid sugar.
Reason #1: Sugar Damages Your Immune System
Have you ever wondered why children sometimes come down with an illness after a birthday party where candy, ice cream, and birthday cake are served in abundance? It may not just be all the “togetherness.” Sugar actually suppresses the immune response within hours of ingestion, and also causes long-term damage to the immune system. Sugar accomplishes this in a couple of ways.
Sugar Keeps Immune Cells from Doing Their Job
First, sugar suppresses a fundamental immune function called phagocytosis. Phagocytes are cells that engulf and ingest foreign matter such as bacteria and pathogens, and phagocytosis is the term for this process. Sugar decreases phagocytosis by crippling the phagocytes. This disabling of the phagocytes peaks within 2 hours of sugar ingestion. As far back as 1973, a study published in The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.1 explained this phenomenon.
Think about this in the context of sweet treats during the holidays – which also happen to be smack in the middle of cold and flu season.
Sugar Competes with Vitamin C
The second way that sugar damages your immune system is by competing with vitamin C, one of the Foundation Supplements in the Osteoporosis Reversal Program. You see, insulin transports sugar into and out of cells. Insulin acts like a carrier, so to speak. Insulin also carries vitamin C into and out of cells. If it’s too “busy” with the sugar, the vitamin C doesn’t get into the cells where it needs to be – particularly the phagocyte cells mentioned above. Phagocytes need vitamin C to function properly and engage in the process of phagocytosis. This is how sugar does its nefarious work on the immune system.
Reason #2: Sugar Destroys Your Brain
If any reason should shake you up, this is it. Sugar messes with your mind, and I don’t mean the way the leftover holiday cookies are “calling your name.” It’s much worse. Sugar actually contributes to Alzheimer’s disease, one of the most devastating examples of degenerative brain damage in our society today.
Sugar promotes the formation of something called Advanced Glycation End products, or AGEs. AGEs are proteins that have been “glycated,” or bonded to a sugar molecule. So obviously, the presence of sugar means more opportunities for these proteins to bond with a sugar molecule to create an AGE. Combined with the prevalence of protein throughout the body, consuming sugar means that AGEs have the potential to be absolutely everywhere.
AGEs Hurt Your Bones and Your Brain
AGEs actually weaken collagen, a substance that gives your bones a strong foundation. Collagen provides a sort of skeleton for your skeleton; it creates a crisscrossed protein infrastructure that provides flexibility to the mineralized collagen that makes up the majority of your bones’ total substance.
Perhaps the most deleterious effect of AGEs, though, is how these glycated proteins can accumulate and lead to Alzheimer’s disease. The presence of AGEs in the beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles characteristic of Alzheimer’s suggests their role in the formation of these destructive tissues.2 Biopsies done on the brains of deceased Alzheimer’s victims show far more AGEs present than in the brains of those without this disease.
Reason #3: Sugar Robs Your Bones of Minerals
When you think of sugar crystals, imagine them acting like sandpaper on your bones. It’s not too far-fetched an analogy – sugar depletes your bones of key nutrients, specifically calcium, magnesium, and copper. I’ll explain.
Calcium
This mineral is the “poster child” for bone health. Calcium supplements are often the first thing people think of when they think of managing their osteoporosis with mineral supplementation.
Sugar is so acidifying that it causes your body to take calcium from your bones and excrete it through your urine. This same effect occurs equally in people prone to kidney stones and those who are not prone to this problem. 3
Magnesium
If you’ve been part of the Save Our Bone community for a while, you know how important magnesium is. Sugar raids and ravages your body’s magnesium supplies as well: “Osmotic diuretics such as mannitol and glucose cause a marked increase in magnesium excretion,” says a study published in The Clinical Biochemist Reviews.4 Mannitol and glucose are, of course, sugars.
Copper
Do you think of copper when you think of bone health? My regular readers know this, but it if you’re new to Save Our Bones, make sure you consider this important mineral in your osteoporosis management.
Copper does double-duty as a bone-building mineral (it works with an enzyme that develops bone) and an antioxidant (copper joins with superoxide dismutase to prevent cellular free radical damage).
Sugar prevents this vital mineral from being absorbed, especially in conjunction with high fat intake5 (and so many sugary treats have unhealthy fats in them!).
Taking Practical Steps to Avoid Sugar
So now that I’ve presented the three main reasons for avoiding sugar, it should be easy to avoid it, right? Actually, sugar has an addictive quality that makes it tough to avoid even if you are well aware of the reasons (however motivational those reasons may be!). Rather than “white-knuckling it” over sugar avoidance, try coming up with a plan.
Get Your Sweet “Fix” Elsewhere
Bone-healthy sugar substitutes such as stevia and raw honey are highly effective ways to “wean” yourself off of sugar. Or when you crave a sweet treat, grab an alkalizing fruit instead.
Don’t Have it Around the House
Eating sugary foods is easy when they are in your refrigerator, freezer, pantry…Instead, stock up on healthful foods so when the sweet tooth strikes, only healthy options are available.
Renew Your Taste Buds
Try avoiding or sharply decreasing your sugar intake for about 10 days. This gives your taste buds time to renew themselves, and your new taste buds will be more sensitive to sweetness, helping you to crave less of the sweet white stuff.
Think About Your Food Choices
Being mindful of what you eat is also important. Popping a piece of candy in your mouth may be almost reflexive if you have it around the house (see above!). Instead, think through your food choices and make healthy ones. Plan your meals and your snacks. This is made easy if you have the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, where I present helpful food charts and dietary information so you can make an informed choice about what you eat every day.
Support from Save Our Bones
And last (but perhaps most important), as a member of the Save Our Bones community, you have access to supportive community members and Save Our Bones staff. You also have access to key information to help you on your journey. Sometimes, just being able to have others come alongside you is the key to winning the battle over sugar.
Stay healthy!
References
1 Sanchez, Albert J.L., et al. “Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis.” The American Society for Clinical Nutrition. 1973 Nov; 26(11):1180-4. Web. https://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/26/11/1180.abstract%29
2 Nobuyuki, Sasaki, et al. “Advanced Glycation End Products in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases.” The American Journal of Pathology. 1998 October; 153(4): 1149–1155. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1853056/
3 Lawoyin, S., et al. “Bone mineral content in patients with calcium urolithiasis.” Metabolism 28:1250-1254.1979.
4 Swaminathan, R. “Magnesium Metabolism and its Disorders.” The Clinical Biochemist Reviews. 2003 May; 24(2): 47-66. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1855626/
5 Wapnir, RA and Devas, G. “Copper deficiency: interaction with high-fructose and high-fat diets in rats.” The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc. January 1995. Vol. 61 no. 1; 105-110. Web. https://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/61/1/105.abstract
Your information is so informative….thank you , it is very much appreciated. I always read your comments and never doubt what you say.
Is it possible to do a small health issue about sugar …specifically…..for children to read and understand?
Banks woo the kids to “save”……..saving their bones from an early age is just as important.
permaculture course
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I have had several compression fractures, have lost 5 and 3/4 inches in height.
Prednisone was one large contributing factor. Have Multiple Sclerosis and Polymyalgia.
I have had a very stressful life, another factor is the stress.
Sugar consumption was a big issue for me so I increased eating a very healthy diet
with lots of vegetables, salads, nuts, lean protein and I switched to stevia.
There is warning here, I told my nutritionist how I use stevia in my several cups of tea, in my salad dressings, to sweeten my yogurt, etc.
Well stevia according to her is acid, tea is acid, I was also making smoothies with protein powder, stevia and fruit.
I am paying for it now, this last fracture has affected my whole life.
I share this to warn others…to avoid what I am living with.
My nutritionist also does not recommend Strontium in large doses either but a small amount in my calcium supplement along with other bone building items.
The acid/alkaline chart is very helpful to learn about beneficial foods.
I felt I needed to share some of my story,
Linda
Everything written against sugar in this page is wrong. Sugar does not harm the immune system, it, like saturated fats, actually help it in their job. Replace the word “sugar” by the words “polyunsaturated fatty acids”.
Source: Raypeat.com/articles
Vivian. I am 5 years in embracing a life style change of healthy eating and living. I have made remarkable success in reversing osteoporosis and not on any traditional meds from the doctor at age 66. My only concern is sugar. I am afraid of sugar and don’t want it in my diet as much as possible. Even though you say that stevia is a better choice than sugar, when I go to the store there are so many look a likes. Can you send me a picture of the stevia you suggest or the brand you suggest as a better choice. I want to get the right one. Thank You. Carol
I am now 60, i took Fosamax for 5 years and decided to stop it. After a year without taking medication my t-score when down. Doctor suggested to start using Evista. My question to you is – how sure will your program work if leaving it a year ago made my osteoporosis worse.
Is agave nectar as good as the honey in place of sugar?
I just read about the benefits of taking natural Strontium for increasing bone density.
Can you recommend supplementing with this trace mineral?
Thank you,
Mary
Hi Mary,
I actually do not recommend a separate strontium supplement…strontium does increase density and both trabecular and cortical strength, therefore making bones denser and thicker. However, thicker and more densely packed bones lack flexibility and tensile strength. Also, strontium is denser than calcium and gives false bone density test results.
Most of the algae-based calcium supplements do contain a small amount of strontium that is actually part of the algae, but that’s ok. We have a small amount of strontium circulating in our blood (around 350 mg), and the amounts in most algae-based calcium formulas won’t make a difference.
I hope this helps answer your question about strontium!
HOW CAN YOU SAY STRONTIUM IS BAD?? I TAKE ULTIMATE BONE SUPPORT AND EXTRA STRONTIUM AND HAVE FOR SEVERAL YRS. I AM 74 YRS OLD. I FELL DOWN THE WHOLE LENGTH OF MY STAIRWAY FLAT ON MY BACK AND NEVER BROKE A BONE. UNTIL I STARTED THE BONE SUPPORT ETC I WAS BREAKING BONES ALL THE TIME. I HAVE HAD SO MANY BROKEN BONES AND HAD TO FIX IT AND I HAVE. YOU SHOULD DO MORE RESEARCH ON THIS MATTER. IT WORKED WONDERS ON MY BODY AND I WILL CONTINUE . PPL BE WARNED .
I have a friend who eat sweets like crazy and always has. She has an excellent bone density. The funny things is she has a hard time walking and her legs hurt all the time but good bones test. I am just the opossite. lot’s of energy no leg problems of any kind but bad density. I do not even take the test anymore because I do not believe in them since i read your report on how machine can be so differetn at my age i do not worry about it and keep trying to eat right and avoid bad things. i guess we wait and see who does the best in years to come. thank you