Inflammation and Sugar

Inflammation & Sugar

      Sugar consumption can have a huge impact on aches, pains and inflammation in the body.  White sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, molasses, agave, high frutose corn syrup, frutose, corn sugar, cane juice, raw sugar, turbinado, are all difficupt to digest. (Agave, the same plant used to make tequila, was an excellent sweetener until it got popular. Now they use a different, more abundant part of the plant but it has to be much more highly processed.) Looking at live blood after consumption of sweets show the white blood cells digesting the sugar, just like any foreign entity, or pathogen, that has made its way into the blood stream. When white blood cells are called in to rush to a sight and handle any pathogen, including sugar, it activates a histamine reaction, or inflammation. This is a protective reaction which slows down the pathogens so they are not as widely distributed throughout the body, before the white blood cells can rush to the sight to do their job.  

      Initially, this histamine reaction to the sugar can happen the day after consuming sweets but the body remembers ingesting foods that hurt it. After an initial reaction the results can become instantaneous, since molecules from food go directly into the blood stream from the veins under the tongue, the closest veins to the surface in the body. With reactions that can happen any time from immediately to the next day, it is often difficult to determine just what is causing the reaction. More so because sugar has become so intrenched in so many people's daily routine, with sweets for breakfast, or sweetened coffee, or drinks through out the day, processed or fast foods, gum and mints, candy, and desserts. Even Health Food items, like alternative milks, granola and organic spaghetti sauce, often contain cane juice, raw sugar or cane sugar in some form. Read the list of ingredients of what ever you buy. Even small amounts, but accumulated throughout the day can cause problems.                              

      So if aches and pains are a problem, get off the sugar, on a daily basis, with exceptions for the occasional treat,  and see how you feel.

                                                                 Health & Happiness,
                                                                           Nancy Burton, L.Ac.
                                                                                 534 Washington St. Ashland, OR 97520
                                                                                                    For Appointments Call:   541-646-0134