By Dean L. Jones, C.P.M.
Students in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) recently published findings from studying rats that a diet high in fructose slows the brain’s ability to learn and remember information. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is six times sweeter than commonly processed sugar from cane or beets, which made HFCS the main ingredient used in this UCLA study, even though fructose is found in all sugar substances.
It is important to note that HFCS is nothing like the naturally occurring fructose found in fruits, which also contain essential antioxidants. Particularly when we eat the fruit whole, we get the positive effects of the fruit’s fiber. That notwithstanding, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American consumes more than 40 pounds of HFCS per year.
HFCS is known to harm the body and can develop diabetes, obesity and a fatty liver. For a long time, I have been convinced that the Alzheimer epidemic is linked with overt processed sugar consumption. Alzheimer is all about memory loss and commonly patients display a build-up in the brain of a gunk like substance called beta-amyloid, and you can slow the progression of Alzheimer when beta-amyloid is not present.
We reduce our ability to calculate and remember whenever we eat too much processed sugar, which is why this aforementioned study comes as no surprise to the science community. It is well known that the daily ingestion of processed sugar destroys the symbiotic bacteria appropriately living in our intestines and as this bacterium withers and dies our stock of ‘B’ vitamins gets very low. These vitamins are critical to memory skills, as the memory diminishes from causing the system to divide glutamic acid into antagonistic-complementary compounds, which produce a “proceed” or “control” response in the brain.
Just think there are no diet plans that recommend eating processed sugar to reduce the risk of any disease, weight loss, or health improvement. Coincidently, the timing of this report comes when Taco Bell is introducing their new drink consisting of Mountain Dew and Orange Juice and they are calling it Mountain Dew A.M. Buyers take heed, because one cup has 51 grams of processed sugar, as the orange juice has 20 grams and Mountain Dew 31 grams.
A major key with maintaining brain power is keeping essential nutrients inside our body, versus depleting them. Be sugar alert, as processed sugar is 100% void of any vitamins or minerals. It comes with 16 calories per teaspoon, and robs the body of ‘B’ vitamins, chromium, magnesium, zinc and calcium to be able to digest and metabolize it. Remember this information, to move processed sugar fully through your digestive system, your body has to take vitamins and minerals that your body is currently digesting or has stored for future use.
Mr. Jones is a marketing strategist with the Southland Partnership Corporation (a public benefit organization), sharing his view on mismanagement practices of packaged foods & beverages.