Straight from the Clay
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Digestive Enzymes, Probiotics, Vitamins, Minerals, Phytonutrients, Fatty Acids
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| Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM). |
DANGERS OF SUGAR
Sugar truly does deserve its reputation as a "white poison", because it is more a chemical and highly
addictive. It is difficult for our bodies to utilize and digest. Humans were really not designed to eat large
amounts of sugar in whatever form it may take: white and brown, corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, glucose,
fructose, lactose, maltose, barley malt, honey, rice syrup and maple syrup.
Sugar can cause weight gain and obesity in both children and adults. It leaches the body of vital
minerals and vitamins. It makes it difficult for a child's brain to learn, resulting in a lack of concentration.
Both children and adults exhibit disruptive behaviour, learning disorders and forgetfulness from sugar
consumption. It initiates auto-immune and immune deficiency disorders such as arthritis, allergies and
asthma. It also upsets hormonal imbalance and supports the growth of cancer cells.
It is conservatively estimated that the average U.S. citizens get approximately twenty percent of their
calories from refined sugar, an average of 130 pounds (59 kilos) per year. This is a massive and
continuing upset for the body. The following is an incomplete listing of diseases believed caused by
chronic long-term sugar consumption:
Heart disease Diabetes Arthritis Hypoglycemia Chronic constipation
Chronic stomach upset Intestinal gas Asthma Headaches Osteoporosis
Obesity Tooth decay Psoriasis Cancer Peridontal disease
Multiple sclerosis Gall stone Cystic Fibrosis Canker sores
Chronic Candida Infection Inflammatory bowel disease
You can have any of these degenerative diseases and be unaware of it for years. It is only because you
are young and have not yet done sufficient damage to the systems of your body. The diseases people
ordinarily die from are degenerative diseases, and it requires at least several years to create a clinically
symptomatic degenerative disease. Degenerative diseases exist long before they become obvious. If
you continue to consume your 130 pounds (59 kilos) per year ration of sugar, you are somewhere to be
found in the degenerative disease process. Google Sugar Degenerative Diseases
The U.S. government spent 12 percent of its health budget on diabetes care, spread across at least 18
agencies in fiscal 2005. Opting to prescribe drugs as opposed to preventive care, subsidizing
pharmaceutical companies. The $79.7 billion spent on treating diabetes and its complications in fiscal
2005 exceeded the entire budget of the Education Department. The number of Americans with diabetes
has doubled to 21 million since 1980, and the number of cases is expected to rise because of sedentary
lifestyles and poor eating habits, where too many patients have been relying on drugs alone to treat the
disease. News Article ; Bloomberg News
There is a world campaign to reduce sugar consumption because of the alarming increase in obesity
across the globe. World Policy Org. But see bogus 1986 FDA report on sugar consumption debunked.
http://www.whale.to/w/appleton2.html. Also see lobbying efforts by the sugar industry.Why isn’t it widely
available on the market? The sugar industry. See lobbying efforts by the Sugar industry. Guardian UK
Inter'l ; Commondreams.Org and Newswithviews.com
Sugar-buster and high-protein diet gurus have attained celebrity status insisting that sugars and other
carbohydrates stimulate excess insulin production that results in storage of sugars in fat cells, wildly
fluctuating blood sugar reactions, and an increased incidence of cancer, heart disease, and osteopo-
rosis. Excess sugar consumption interferes with the body's absorption of minerals (calcium and
magnesium), raises cholesterol levels, and causes allergies, kidney damage, high blood pressure, and
a host of other problems. This presumption has led to the concept of low carbohydrate diets to control
weight and prevent and cure disease.But See the Schwarzbein Principle. Optimal Wellness; Google
Schwarzbein Principle; MED LIBRARY
Sweeteners to avoid:
• Refined sugar (sucrose)
• Corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup
• Sucralose (Splenda)
• Aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal)
• Saccharine (Sweet 'N Low)
Studies have both identified saccharine (Sweet 'N Low) as a carcinogen and as safe. However, US
government reports of known carcinogens have continued to include saccharine in their lists since 1981,
but is still permitted to be sold, due to special interest groups. Aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) has been
roundly condemned by many sources as a dangerous toxin capable of inducing hundreds of symptoms.
It has been affectionately nicknamed Nutradeath. Besides causing headaches, allergic reactions, and
symptoms that mimic autoimmune diseases, aspartame causes the accumulation of formaldehyde in
the brain and other tissues, which can cause damage to the nervous system and immune system. http:
//www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdsugar.html
Because of the negative publicity about these sugar-free sweeteners, other alternatives have been
developed. The newest kid on the block is sucralose (Splenda).
IT IS A NO-BRAINER THAT XYLITOL IS THE SWEETENER OF CHOICE
This website recommends Xylitol as the sweetener of choice because of it’s many health benefits.
Xylitol is not only a safe, natural sweetener without the bad side-effects of sugar and artificial substitutes,
it's also good for your teeth, stabilizes insulin and hormone levels (Ladies and Gentlemen notate the
latter, stabilize hormone levels) and promotes good health.
Xylitol was discoved in 1891 by a German chemist. During World War II, Finland was suffering from an
acute sugar shortage. Finnish scientists rediscovered xylitol. By 1930, xylitol was stabilized and it was
discovered that xylitol's was insulin-independent (it metabolises in the body without using insulin).
By the 1960s, xylitol was being used in Germany, Switzerland, the Soviet Union and Japan. Afterwards,
many other countries including Italy and China have been producing xylitol for use in their domestic
markets--and with remarkable health benefits. It has been relatively unknown in the USA and Australia,
primarily because cheap supplies of cane sugar made the more expensive xylitol less economically
viable.
Xylitol is a natural substance found in fibrous vegetables and fruit, as well as in corn cobs and various
hardwood trees like birch. It is a natural, we make up to 15 grams daily during normal metabolism.
Xylitol is really sugar's mirror image. Xylitol has 40 per cent fewer calories and 75 per cent fewer
carbohydrates than sugar and is slowly absorbed and metabolized, resulting in very negligible changes
in insulin. While sugar wreaks havoc on the body, xylitol heals and repairs. It also builds immunity,
protects against chronic degenerative disease and has anti-aging benefits. Xylitol is considered a five-
carbon sugar, which means it is an antimicrobial, preventing the growth of bacteria. While sugar is acid
forming, xylitol is alkaline enhancing. All other forms of sugar, including sorbitol, another popular
alternative sweetener, are six-carbon sugars which feed dangerous bacteria and fungi.
Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1963, xylitol has no known toxic levels. The
only discomfort that some sensitive people may notice initially when taking large amounts is mild
diarrhoea or slight cramping. Since the body makes xylitol daily, as well as the enzymes to break it down,
any discomfort usually disappears within a few days as the body's enzymatic activity adjusts to a higher
intake.
Xylitol is available in many forms. In its crystalline form, it can replace sugar in cooking, baking or as a
sweetener for beverages. It is also included as an ingredient in chewing gum, mints and nasal spray.
Xylitol and Oral Health. According to the American Dental Association, 75 per cent of American adults
over the age of 35 suffer from some form of periodontal disease. When there is an excess of sugar in
the diet, this weakens the immune system and creates an acidic environment; thus oral health suffers.
The mouth is home to over 400 strains of bacteria. Most of these are benign, but when sugar enters the
scene it feeds the destructive strains, allowing them to proliferate. Periodontal disease is basically
caused by bacteria. These deposits permit the growth of bacteria that cause inflammation of the gums.
The bacteria also release minute amounts of toxins that break down gum tissue, thereby helping the
infection to progress. Plaque is an invisible, sticky film of saliva and food residue that constantly forms
on the teeth. Ongoing low-grade bacterial infection also burdens the immune system.
Bacteria help to create plaque and they also thrive within it. Unless removed, plaque formed along the
gum line can lead to gum disease. When left untreated, plaque at or below the gum line hardens into
tartar. Periodontal disease takes two forms: simple gum inflammation, called gingivitis; and a more
severe gum infection, called periodontitis, which may lead to tooth loss and receding gums.
Gingivitis results from the build-up of plaque and tartar which irritate the gum or periodontal tissue. The
more advanced state of gum disease, periodontitis, occurs when inflammation of the gums is
accompanied by bone and ligament destruction. Bleeding gums are usually the first indication that gum
disease is developing, but obvious symptoms may not always be present. Using xylitol helps to raise
plaque pH, thereby reducing the time that teeth are exposed to damaging acids as well as starving
harmful bacteria of their food source.
Gum infection can also lead to other serious health problems. It doubles the risk of stroke, triples the
risk of heart attack, increases the incidence of premature, low-weight babies and also contributes to
bronchitis, pneumonia and emphysema. In fact, the same bacteria that cause gum disease end up
either directly or indirectly infecting your heart and arteries.
Using xylitol helps to raise plaque pH, thereby reducing the time that teeth are exposed to damaging
acids as well as starving harmful bacteria of their food source. It reverses all these destructive effects of
sugar on oral health. Xylitol is non-fermentable and therefore cannot be converted to acids by oral
bacteria, thus it helps to restore a proper alkaline/acid balance in the mouth. This alkaline environment
is inhospitable to all the destructive bacteria, especially the worst variety, Streptococcus mutans. It also
inhibits plaque formation. Using xylitol right before bedtime, after brushing and flossing, protects and
heals the teeth and gums. Unlike sugar, it can even be left on the teeth overnight. With proper use, xylitol
actually stops the fermentation process leading to tooth decay. Long-term use suppresses the most
harmful strains of oral bacteria, making a long-lasting change in those bacterial communities. Xylitol
even has the ability to enhance the mineralisation of the enamel. It is most effective in treating small
decay spots. Although larger cavities won't go away, they can harden and become less sensitive.
Consistently using small amounts of xylitol tends to increase protective factors in saliva. Xylitol
stimulates saliva flow and helps keep salivary minerals in a useful form. Prolonged xylitol use increases
the buffering capacity and protective factors in saliva. Increased saliva production is especially important
for people suffering with a dry mouth due to illness, ageing or drug side-effects. Since the oral
environment becomes less acidic with continued xylitol use, it is advisable to chew xylitol gum or suck a
xylitol mint after every meal or after eating sweet snacks. The best news is that studies have shown that
xylitol's effect is long-lasting and possibly even permanent.
Xylitol has recently received positive support in the Journal of the American Dental Association. "Xylitol is
an effective preventive agent against dental caries ... Consumption of xylitol-containing chewing gum has
been demonstrated to reduce caries in Finnish teenagers by 30 to 60 per cent. Studies conducted in
Canada, Thailand, Polynesia and Belize have shown similar results..."3 A study conducted at Harvard
School of Dental Medicine concluded that "xylitol can significantly decrease the incidence of dental
caries".
Xylitol, however, isn't just for the young. In a paper published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics
Society, researchers tested 111 adults aged 60 and older over a 12-month period. All were frail but
healthy adults. In the study, one group of volunteers chewed no gum, a second chewed gum containing
xylitol, and a third group chewed gum containing both xylitol and an antimicrobial. In the two groups
receiving gum, the participants chewed two pieces for 15 minutes, two times per day. At the end of the
study, the researchers reported that the group who received xylitol gum had substantially lowered their
risk of developing thrush, a fungal or yeast infection that can cause mouth soreness. (The group who
received xylitol plus the antimicrobial had equal benefits.) It had also reduced their risk of developing
angular cheilitis, a condition in which sores develop in the corners of the mouth. The researchers noted
that xylitol gum can provide a "real clinical benefit" to frail, elderly people. Answers; PubMedCentral
JDR.IADRJOURNALS; Dr. Greene Org; NIHGOV; PublicMeds; JADA.ADA.ORG; Google xylitol plaque
Xylitol and Ear, Nose and Throat Infections. Recurring middle ear infections pose a great health threat
to children. Language, a critical part of learning, is built by auditory input during the first two years of life--
the same period when ear infections are most common. If this input is dampened by infection or fluid in
the middle ear during this important period, it can cause learning problems. One researcher
demonstrated that even when properly treated, recurrent middle ear infections during the first two years
result in significant impairment in reading ability up to the age of nine. Another study followed children
longer and showed significant learning and social problems extending up to age eighteen.
See for instance, Government Xylitol Studies
One of xylitol's versatile benefits is its ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria that cause middle ear
infections in young children. In two recent studies involving over 1,000 children, xylitol-flavoured chewing
gum was found to reduce the incidence of middle ear infections by 40 per cent, significantly decreasing
ongoing middle ear complications and the need for antibiotics.
Regularly washing the nose with a spray containing xylitol decreases the number of harmful bacteria and
stimulates normal defensive washing of this area. A clean nose reduces problems with allergies and
asthma that originate from nasal irritants and pollutants. Current research shows how bacteria attach to
cells in the body, causing infection. Some sugars like xylitol are known to be able to interfere with this
binding, blocking the attachment of the major infection-causing bacteria that live in the nose. Dr Lon
Jones, a physician in Plainsview, Texas, reported that the use of a xylitol nasal spray in his practice
prevented 93 per cent of ear infections and resulted in comparable reductions in sinus infections,
allergies and asthma.
Xylitol has been shown to be effective in inhibiting Candida albicans, a serious systemic yeast
problem, and other harmful gut bacteria including H. pylori, implicated in periodontal disease, bad
breath, gastric and duodenal ulcers and even stomach cancer.
Xylitol has been shown to reverse bone loss, osteoporosis. Studies in Finland found that xylitol
maintained bone density in rats that had their ovaries removed. Without ovaries, oestrogen levels
plummeted and so did the bone density in rats that were not given xylitol. However, in the rats that had
ovaries removed and were given xylitol, bone density actually increased.10 Another study showed that
xylitol was effective in decreasing age-related bone loss in older male rats by 10 per cent.11
In an unprecedented action, the Finnish researchers made bold recommendations for human
application of their studies. They suggested that an effective human dose would be about 40 grams
daily. The scientists speculated that xylitol's bone density enhancing properties are due to its ability to
promote intestinal absorption of calcium.
Xylitol is insulin dependent, Diabetes Hypertension and Hormonal Imbalances. Consuming sugar and
other refined carbohydrates results in the rapid release of glucose, or blood sugar. In response, the
pancreas secretes insulin to usher glucose into the cells, where it is burned for energy. Excess glucose
stresses the system, and over time the cells become less responsive to insulin. This condition, known
as insulin resistance, is a huge health problem and it is estimated to affect half the American population.
Insulin resistance is associated with abnormalities in cholesterol and triglyceride levels, hypertension,
increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The dramatic rise in type-2 diabetes since the mid-1900s directly coincides with our increased
consumption of sugar. One long-term study of more than 65,000 women demonstrated that a high-
sugar, low-fibre diet increased the risk of type-2 diabetes by 250 per cent. This makes it a perfect
sweetener for people with diabetes as well as those wanting to lose weight. There is a growing
consensus amongst anti-aging researchers that maintaining low insulin levels is a key to a successful
anti-aging program.
Insulin resistance also plays a significant role in hormonal imbalances, including those that lead to
breast cancer. High insulin levels increase the production of oestrogens, leading to an oestrogen-
dominant condition, and also interfere with healthy ovarian function. Insulin resistance is a major cause
of a growing hormonal problem called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS causes the ovaries to
become anovulatory, which means that the normal cyclic production of oestrogen followed by
progesterone either ceases or becomes dysfunctional. Insulin stimulates the ovaries to produce
predominantly male hormones, which, in combination with higher insulin and glucose levels, increase
weight-gain around the waist--a body type that is a risk factor for breast cancer. Signs that the body is
being exposed to higher levels of the male hormones include acne, loss of head hair and an increase in
body hair. Lowering insulin levels is crucial for not only treating PCOS but also resolving most other
hormonal imbalances, including those leading to breast cancer.
Dr John Lee, author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer, explains the connection
between insulin resistance and breast cancer: "Overeating junk food makes you fat. Increased body fat
and lack of exercise lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance leads to further craving of sugary
carbohydrates to generate energy for the body. More insulin is released in response to increased
carbohydrate intake, leading to more weight gain. More fat leads to more estrogens, which, in turn, lead
to earlier breast development and menstruation. Earlier onset of menstruation leads to more ovulatory
cycles and a greater lifetime exposure to oestrogens without adequate progesterone. A greater lifetime
exposure to estrogens increases breast cancer risk.
"Simultaneously, increased consumption of simple carbohydrates, coupled with insulin resistance,
leads to polycystic ovaries and lack of ovulation during menstrual cycles, resulting in excess production
of androgens and estrogens, along with inadequate production of progesterone. Excessive estrogen
production in the absence of progesterone production leads to estrogen dominance and increased
breast cancer risk. Use of contraceptive hormones increases insulin resistance, exacerbating all the
above problems."
Using xylitol instead of sugar as well as reducing intake of high-glycaemic, refined carbohydrate foods
helps to lower the risk not only of PCOS but also of ovarian cysts, fibroids, endometriosis, PMS, hot
flushes, weight gain and depression.
The Safer Sweetener
Increased sugar consumption has bedevilled Western cultures with more and more health problems,
many of which are putting an enormous strain on health care systems. Finally, there is an answer to our
collective prayers for something truly healthy that can also satisfy our sweet tooth. Over 1,500 scientific
studies have found that the more you use xylitol, the more you can eliminate sugar cravings, reduce
insulin levels and alkalinise your body. It's a great aid on the way to good health and long life.
Imagine never having to feel those twinges of guilt when you bite into a xylitol-sweetened brownie. Or
how about increasing your bone density while enjoying your favourite hot drink with two spoonfuls of
xylitol crystals, or knowing that xylitol-sweetened chewing gum is preventing cavities and gum disease?
With xylitol, you can now have your sweet tooth and treat it, too!
________________________________________
News Letter Home
Xylitol sweetners. Xylitol sweetened organic products. Xylitol is naturally occurring in the body and has been
proven to prevent cavities and ear infections in adults and children.
Click on the Nature's Flavors banners to get Xylitol natural sweeteners.
proven to prevent cavities and ear infections in adults and children.
Click on the Nature's Flavors banners to get Xylitol natural sweeteners.