Look up the word “drug” in a dictionary, or type the term into your dictionary application online and this is what will come up:

 

drug | drəg |  – noun: a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body: a substance taken for its narcotic or stimulant effects, often illegally: [as modifier]: a drug addict

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Now, if you Google some combination of these words –  “how refined sugar affects your body,” approximately 95% of the articles cited will give some kind of information on the negative effects refined sugar produces in the human body, as a substance that - when ingested - acts very much like both a narcotic and/or stimulant, or - a drug. The articles also speak to the addictive properties of sugar. Some even go so far as to call sugar a kind of drug.

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And if you Google some combination of these words – “how cocaine affects your body”  -- you will see that the descriptions are remarkably the same.

 

Comparing Sugar to Cocaine

The current data and the many recent studies that have been done all point to the fact that the use of refined sugar does compare to the use of cocaine in terms of long-term, negative health consequences. Some people in the medical community have even called for it to be labelled as a toxic substance like alcohol and tobacco and advocated for it to be regulated the same way.

By now, almost everyone has some kind of awareness that most forms of sugar – outside of what naturally occurs in fruits – aren’t healthy. Interestingly, in today’s culture, the negative effects of refined sugar on the American diet is widely accepted as fact. Yet, if you stop someone on the street and ask them why refined sugar isn’t good for you – they probably won’t be able to tell you exactly what the problem is.

 

Most people simply know – in a vague kind of way – that refined sugar isn’t a good idea, and they’ll agree that they should probably eat less of it. Unfortunately, if you ask them how important this is to them in terms of their diet, or how they are dealing with it – you will generally get a rueful shrug or a half-hearted laugh.

 

Then – after laughing about how much sugar they eat, most people will follow up with a half-hearted explanation of why they aren’t avoiding it, or – even worse – why they can’t stop eating it. And after this, many will add a sheepish confession that they ate a cookie last night, or a donut this morning, or had a candy bar this afternoon (and then they admit it was three cookies, or maybe – four). There may be a little guilt, but you will see no signs of real alarm or worry on their face.

 

And there should be alarm – and worry – about the dangers of refined sugar, and what it’s doing to our bodies, our lives, and our health.

 

Helping my patients attain and maintain optimal health and wellness is why I do the work I do. It is the mission statement of every member of our team here at Lotus Wellness. After years of working with patients of all ages, from all walks of life, and suffering from any number of conditions, I feel that educating my patients is a crucial first step in guiding them toward a healthy lifestyle. And diet is a crucial part of our approach to your overall, holistic wellness – that is, health in body, mind, and spirit.

 

So – if you are a person that “vaguely knows” that sugar is “bad” for you, I want to give you some concrete explanations about how sugar affects health, so you can understand exactly what you’re doing to yourself, your family, and your children when you eat it:

 

This is what happens to your brain on sugar:

                    The “reward center” in your brain is flooded with dopamine, the “feel-good” brain hormone that causes a change in the brain that results in a need to perform the behavior again… and again… and again…

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This is what happens to your brain on cocaine:

                    The “reward center” in your brain is flooded with dopamine, the “feel-good” brain hormone that causes a change in the brain that results in a need to perform the behavior again… and again… and again…

 

This is what happens to your brain on sugar:

                    MRI’s of the brain show that neurons “light up” in the “reward” region of the brain when sugar is consumed, showing that it stimulates the brain, producing a spike of pleasure that the brain/body wants to repeat, again… and again... and again…

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This is what happens to your brain on cocaine:

                    MRI’s of the brain show that neurons “light up” in the “reward” region of the brain when cocaine is ingested, showing that it stimulates the brain, producing a spike of pleasure that the brain/body wants to repeat, again… and again… and again…

 

This is what happens to your brain on sugar:

                    “Tolerance” for the substance builds up, meaning that larger and larger amounts of it are needed to produce the same effect, resulting in compulsive use – and overuse.

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This is what happens to your brain on cocaine:

                    “Tolerance” for the substance builds up, meaning that larger and larger amounts of it are needed to produce the same effect, resulting in compulsive use – and overuse.

 

This is what happens to your body on sugar:

If an individual who has been consuming the substance regularly – and then suddenly stops – they will experience withdrawal, which is a physical state that includes:

                    a physical “crash” after initially stopping

                    intense craving for the substance

                    often distressingly obvious mood swings; anxiety and/or irritability                   

                    extreme fatigue

                    problems sleeping

                    increased appetite

                    physical problems with coordination – the body is agitated and/or slows down

                    the ability to concentrate is challenged

                    an inability to feel pleasure

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This is what happens to your body on cocaine:

If an individual who has been consuming the substance regularly – and then suddenly stops – they will experience withdrawal, which is a physical state that includes:

                    a physical “crash” after initially stopping

                    body aches, chills, feeling “shaky”

                    intense craving for the substance

                    often distressingly obvious mood swings; anxiety and/or irritability                   

                    extreme fatigue

                    problems sleeping

                    increased appetite

                    physical problems with coordination – the body is agitated and/or slows down

                    the ability to concentrate is challenged

                    an inability to feel pleasure

 

These are some of the effects of sugar on your health:

                    a tendency to gain weight; sugar is the primary cause of obesity in the U.S., and                              obesity greatly increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease

                    serious to severe tooth decay

                    the immune system is impaired

                    brain function is compromised

                    individuals develop mood disorders; depression, anxiety, irritability

                    certain cancers love glucose – or – sugar

                    premature aging

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These are some of the effects of cocaine on your health:

                    a tendency to lose weight; malnutrition from weight loss

                    causes high blood pressure, greatly increases the risk of heart disease, heart attacks,                             strokes, and death

                    serious to severe tooth decay

                    the immune system is impaired; higher risk of infectious diseases

                    brain function is compromised

                    mood disorders; depression, anxiety, irritability

                    sexual problems, infertility

                    premature aging

 

If these comparisons have been disturbing to you, I’m happy. If you had even one realization that you’re harming yourself and your family by using this incredibly harmful substance – I’m thrilled.

Obviously, diet is a vast and important area in terms of every person’s health and well being, and sugar is such an important part of the American diet that it’s going to require more than one go-round to address it, so watch for next week’s article. This week I just wanted to get your attention. Now that I have it – next week I’ll give you some advice, solutions, and suggestions to help you stop the "sugar madness!"

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