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Is it true?

Discussion in 'Physical & Sexual Health' started by Fargo, Sep 2, 2010.

  1. Fargo

    Fargo Guest

    My stepdad seems to think that taking in lots of sugar(apparently the amount I take in is a lot... 6-15 tablespoons daily mixed into numerous cups of tea) will kill my pancreas and give me diabetes. However, no where did I read online did it say that regular sugar does that (Something about too much glucose could cause insulin resistance or something like that). I also did some reading on diabetes, but the symptoms were kind of dodgy and hard to get any real answers.
    Here is some things I have that sites mentioned as symptoms:
    • Dry flaky skin(My skin is always dried out, no matter what I do to moisturize it. I also continue to have dandruff no matter how well I wash my hair, what shampoo/conditioner I use, and how well I wash it out.)
    • Acne(I'm 19 now and I wash very well, and I just continue to break out. I don't eat fatty foods very often. Washing, scrubbing, and cleansing does nothing to change my skin.)
    • Usually thirsty, urination is 3+ times a day
    • I eat to the point where I can't eat no more, otherwise I still feel hungry. I don't get that "content" or "sated" feeling.

    Some other symptoms I am not sure if they play a role in or not:
    • Jello legs on occasion(Becoming more frequent.)
    • Experiencing weakness in my left arm
    • Vision occasionally blurs and turns red to the point where I'm basically blind(Very rarely, and with this I experience nausea, ringing in the ears, and feeling like I may pass out. Could be low blood pressure, but this occurs when I'm already standing for a period of time)
    • Occasional random bursts of anxiety/panic(?)
    • Occasional periods of confusion
    And I'm not sure if the list goes on, I can't remember anything else at the moment... Thanks for any help. And yes, I realize that some of these may have nothing to do with each other. But just thought I would check.
     
  2. Chip

    Board Member Admin Team Advisor Full Member

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    6 to 15 tablespoons is a LOT of sugar, the equivalent of 18 to 45 teaspoons.

    There are a lot of ways in which excess sugar consumption (particularly refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup, found in sodas and everythign else) can be really bad. There are several great books on why sugar is so terrible for you, I'd suggest you take a look at Amazon and maybe get a couple of them to read.

    KB is better qualified to speak about your symptoms, but at least some of your symptoms sound like they are related to severe changes in blood sugar, which could indicate either just excessive sugar intake, or hypoglycemia, or diabetes. I bet a lot of that would go away if you cut out the sugar.

    Also, I do know that there appears to be a noticeable correlation between exce ss sugar intake and increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is particularly bad; it's all but untreatable and the 5 year survival rate is less than 2%.

    You may want to check out stevia. It's a natural sweetener, 400 times sweeter than sugar, and a decent, non-chemical substitute. It's not quite the same as sugar but I use it quite a bit in tea and the like and it works quite well.

    Bottom line is, your dad is right. What you're doing is pretty bad healthwise. You can maybe get away with it for a little while but it's probably going to caluse you problems later if it hasn't already.
     
  3. malachite

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    Well, just because you looked online and didn't find what you wanted doesn't mean it doesn't exsist.

    Regular high in takes of sugar are cause type 2 diabetes, and as I understand it, you get it by basically taking so much sugar that your body can't keep up. Processed sugar is the by far the worst for you.

    Having 2 tea spoon with one cup of coffee everyday is negligible about 30 -50 calories; but, taking in 6 - 15 a day is a lot.

    When you say Jello legs I assume you mean you get the shakes, that means your blood sugar is low, usually, your body is producing a lot of insulin to deal with all that sugar and so your blood sugar is spiking and then dropping, plus the by product of insulin is a toxin, a natural one but still of toxin, its another reason your feel tried when the sugar rush wears off.

    If it is hot tea your drinking try it with honey instead of sugar, its natural unprocessed and much better for you.

    One of the reasons you don't feel sated after you eat and you feel hungry soon after is your body is not getting the nutrients it needs from the foods you eat, your brain doesn't know its the 21st century and it only knows to tell you it needs nutrients one way, by eatting. If you give your body a lot food but its just junk you'll be hungry soon after because your body is still craving nutrients that it needs.

    On the side that you pee a lot tea is a natural diuretic, which makes you have to pee (in coffee it usually makes you have to poop.)

    Often time if you find yourself with dark urine and running poop your body is dehyrated, tea is mostly water which is good, but all that sugar can dry you out, just like salt, ever notice in the inside of your mouth shirvels up when you eat a lot of sugar or suck on pieces of candy for a long time?
     
    #3 malachite, Sep 2, 2010
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2010
  4. Fargo

    Fargo Guest

    The food I eat is usually healthy. I don't usually eat junk food or fast food. It's usually all home cooked fresh food, very rarely do we buy anything pre-made.
     
  5. KaraBulut

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    The whole sugar-diabetes thing is one of those "chicken or egg" dilemmas. Sugar doesn't cause diabetes. But we know that people who are pre-diabetic have problems processing sugar. And we know that people who have excess body fat have issues with managing blood levels of sugar.

    Sugar is sugar. It doesn't matter whether it's honey, table sugar or fruit sugar. The body is going to convert it to the same basic sugars during digestion. The only factors that matter are quantity and the speed at which the body processes it.

    For the average person, the human body is quite adept at processing sugars. But for some people, there are problems that can happen from lack of exercise and excessive consumption of alcohol, carbohydrates and processed foods. Some medications can also cause issues with sugar metabolism.

    By the end of your teens, you should have had a complete physical exam with some basic lab test that include a blood sugar level. This is typically done after you have not eaten or drunk anything for 10-12 hours. A fasting blood sugar test is generally the first step in diagnosing diabetes.

    If your lab tests are normal, then regular exercise and a reasonable diet is all you need. You are consuming a lot of sugar and you would benefit from tapering that down.
     
  6. Blondie

    Blondie Guest

    Ask your Doctor to run a A1C test on you this will tell you wether or not you Diabetic I know cuz I am and I test every day let us know how it goes
     
  7. Sylver

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    Without being a doctor, I'm going to say that he's right. Think of it this way.. Put your finger on the table, then take a hammer and lightly tap your finger with it. Does it hurt? Probably not. Now let the hammer drop under it's own weight.. I bet you'd feel it. Now put some force into it.. it's gonna start to hurt. Now.. take the hammer and whack your finger as hard as you can.. and tell me if it hurts. That pain is a reaction to how much shock you apply to something that isn't supposed to be hit with a hammer.

    It's the same way with sugar. Your body was designed to process a certain amount of sugar each day. Think in evolutionary terms.. where did sugar come from in our diets? Ripe fruit.. honey.. small quantities in foods.. It was never delivered pure. So our bodies were designed to work with a range of sugar and to handle that range without causing harm to our systems.

    But each time you take a whack of pure sugar, you are hitting your endocrine system with a hammer.. unfortunately it wasn't built to respond with pain.

    Then... another analogy. Take an elastic band and stretch it. Notice how it returns to its size, and will stretch the same again. As long as you don't overstretch it, it will always return to it's original size and will stretch again. Now.. take that elastic and stretch the hell out of it - as far as you can without breaking it. Do it again, and again, and again.. Eventually that elastic is going to completely lose its shape and its elasticity. It will become useless.

    Welcome to diabetes..