Monday, September 3, 2012

Sugar and Skin problems

The human body is not ready to process that much sugar that an average person consume today. Sugar in products takes vitam B and other micro-nutrients from the body which are required for the break-down, thus causing deficiency diseases. It strongly acidifies the pH of the body, so for the compensation, the body takes calcium and mineral salts from the bones.

If you take a better look you will see, almost everything contains sugar. I checked my whole wheat flour and it contains sugar too!

Before I write about why sugar is bad for your skin, lets look at the types of sugar.

Types of sugar (the following list is not exhaustive):

1. Granulated (white) sugar

It is made from cane sugar or beet sugar. The sliced ​​herb is soaked, pressed and purified with phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide (slaked lime), which combine to precipitate calcium phosphate. All the organic impurities are removed with this process. Then then clarified syrup is decolorized by filtration. The purified syrup is then concentrated to supersaturation and repeatedly crystallized under vacuum, to produce white refined sugar. An interesting fact: the sugar contant of beet sugar is 18%, the sugar contant of refined white sugar is 95%.

2. Brown sugar

Probably lots of people think that brown sugar is good or at least better than granutlated sugar. Unfortunately the answer is no. It's removed from processing before it's completely refined, but not early enough to be called unprocessed by any means. So the only difference between the two types of sugar (granulated and brown) is the last process. Brown sugar contains some amounts of minerals from the molasses, but believe me, it's not enough to benefit the body. Brown sugar is made from sugarcane, rather than from beets (which are sometimes used to make white sugar). During the sugar making process, juice extracted from sugarcane (or sugar beets) is boiled down until the sugars crystallize and precipitate out. The syrup left over after crystallization is referred to as molasses. It is either an unrefined or partially refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals with some residual molasses content, or it is produced by the addition of molasses to refined white sugar. (Yes, brown sugar is often produced by adding cane molasses to completely refined white sugar crystals.) Only the syrup left from the final crystallization stage is called molasses. The differences between various brown sugars, primarily, in how much molasses each contains.

Demerara sugar, popular in Britain, (but not the same like London demerara which is actually refined sugar with added molasses, rather than raw sugar) is a type of unrefined sugar with a large grain and a pale to golden yellow color. To make demerara sugar, sugar producers press sugar cane and steam the juice of the first pressing to form thick cane syrup. The cane syrup is allowed to dehydrate, leaving behind large golden brown crystals of sugar. Demerara sugar is not refined, so it has a rich, creamy, molasses-like flavor which enhances baked goods. Demerara sugar is also referred to as Turbinado sugar in many markets, which has more to do with how the sugar is processed in turbines, than where it originates.

Turbinado sugar ("cane sugar", "raw sugar" or "sugar in the raw") is made from the initial pressing of sugar cane.It is basically what’s left over after raw sugar cane juice has been stripped of its natural molasses and impurities, as well as its vitamins, minerals and other trace elements. It tends to hold more moisture, and is lower in calories. A basic teaspoon of Turbinado sugar contains 11 calories, while granulated sugar contains 16. However it is actually processed too: it contains only a trace amount of its original molasses content, making it similar to refined sugar except with a golden color and a hint of molasses flavor. New York University nutritional scientist Marion Nestle says: "The amounts of trace minerals in raw sugar are so small that they are nutritionally insignificant." Summary: it's not healthier than white sugar.

Sucanat also known as organic Whole Cane sugar is made from sugar cane, usually organically grown, and minimally processed to obtain juice to make syrup (the molasses is not removed). The syrup is dehydrated and milled into a powder. It contains potassium, vitamin A, calcium, iron, magnesium and small amounts of other vitamins and minerals.

Muscovado sugar (a.k.a. Barbados sugar) is the darkest of them all and made by allowing the sugar crystals to dry under low heat or usually in the sun. This sugar has two distinctive traits which make it quite unique. The first is the coarse grain; Muscovado sugar has very large, rough crystals which are unevenly sized. The second is the high molasses content of the sugar, which causes Muscovado sugar to be dark, strongly flavored, and very sticky. This cane sugar is made by pressing sugarcane to release the naturally sweet juice and then cooking it slightly before allowing it to dry. During the cooking process, various ingredients are added to help remove impurities which may be present in the sugarcane juice; typically these impurities rise to the top in the form of foam which is skimmed out. Both coconut milk and lime juice are used in traditionally processing of Muscovado sugar.

Because Muscovado sugar is minimally refined, it retains many of the essential dietary vitamins and minerals which are present in the sugarcane plant. While it may be odd to think of sugar as being good for you, Muscovado sugar happens to be high in potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron, among other useful compounds, which is why some cooks like to use it. Although Muscovado sugar is certainly not a health food, it is more beneficial than pure white refined sugar.

Sugars labeled "light brown" or "dark brown" are made by adding molasses back into refined (white) sugar.

There are no regulations dictating how much molasses must be added to the refined sugar to make light or dark brown sugar, but usually light brown sugar contains 3.5% molasses and dark brown sugar contains 6.5% molasses.

But some companies use simple syrup, coloring and flavor instead of molasses.

3. High fructose corn syrup (Glucose/fructose)

It comes from corn, not sugarcane or sugar beets. The body treats HFCS differently than glucose, another common form of sugar. When a person's liver is deciding what to do with glucose, it has several options: use it for energy; convert the glucose into triglycerides or store the glucose as fat. According to Dr. Andrew Weil "High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a recent invention of the food industry, made by an enzyme-mediated process. Old-fashioned corn syrup is less sweet and contains mostly glucose.

HFCS contains 54 percent fructose. Never before in history have so many people been consuming so much fructose, and I am concerned about its possible disruptive effects on metabolism. I'd advise you not to buy products made with HFCS.

HFCS is in nearly everything: jelly, juice, sodas, whole-grain breads, cereals, ketchup, crackers, yogurt, sweet pickles, applesauce, salad dressing, ice cream, cough syrup and lots more. Corn syrup is distinct from high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is made by converting some of corn syrup’s glucose into fructose. High-fructose corn syrup is high in fructose only in relation to plain corn syrup; chemically, it’s very similar to sucrose: about 50/50 glucose and fructose.

It raises cholesterol, makes blood cells more prone to clotting, and it may also accelerate the aging process.

4. Fructose (Fruit sugar)

It's a simple monosaccharide or sugar that is found in many different kinds of ripe fruits. Different from glucose and sucrose, fruit sugar is extremely sweet and is often used in the preparation of commercial food products. Along with being found in a number of fruits, fructose is also present in honey and a select number or vegetables such as onions, parsnips, and sweet potatoes

Although I hear everywhere that fruit sugar is no less dangerous for people who are diabetic or current diagnosed as being in a pre-diabetic state and fructose will still cause blood sugar levels to peak, according to Frederic Patenaude "blood sugar stays absolutely normal. I think that it’s still possible for some people to experience a negative reaction from eating sweet fruit. However, it’s not the fruit that’s to blame in this case, but their overall diet which is too high in fat. This situation is best explained in the book “Breaking the Food Seduction”, by Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D."

But refined fructose is not the same as real, natural fructose, which called "levulose". According to Rami Nagel "refined fructose is processed in the body through the liver, rather than digested in the intestine. Levulose is digested in the intestine.

5. Honey

Technically this is sugar too, but it's natural. Although it's sweeter than granulated sugar, it absorbs much slower and its glycemic index is much lower than the white sugar. Natural, pure honey has lots of nutrients and its enzymes makes it unique. However, if the enzymes are exposed to heat - and the part of the nutrients too - tehy will decompose.

6. Agave Nectar

Accordin to WebMd, "there is more than 300 species of agave plants. Most agave sweeteners are produced from the blue agave plant. The core of the plant contains the aguamiel or "honey water," the substance used for syrup production (and, when fermented, tequila). Although agave starts out as this natural elixir from Mother Nature, the form you can buy has been processed to form a syrup or nectar. refined agave sweeteners are not inherently healthier than sugar, honey, high-fructose corn syrup, or any other sweetener. Nutritionally and functionally, agave syrup is similar to high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose syrup." Conclusion: agave is not better than simple sugar.

7. Stevia

It is derived from a plant called stevia, which grows in Paraguay and Brazil or from corn fibre. This is one of the best natural sweetener. Much sweeter than sugar. It doesn't peak the blood sugar level, contains no calories and it has lost of beneficial effects for the body. Stevia is widely used as a sweetener in Japan

8. Birch sugar

It is also known as Xylitol. It is a sugar alcohol, so only a small proportion is absorbed in the body and therefore it doesn't contribute to high blood sugar levels or the resulting hyperglycemia caused by insufficient insulin response. It is derived from birch bark. Xylitol is actively beneficial for dental health, reducing caries to a third in regular use, and has been shown to reduce the incidence of ear infections. Glycemic index of 7, compared with granulated sugar with GI 68. Even if you have candida you can use Xylitol!

Why sugar is bad for the skin?

According to Smart Skincare "glucose can cause damage by randomly reacting with proteins and DNA." Basically the sugar molecule can attach to collagen and elastin. This process is called glycation (AGEs). AGEs makes collagen and elastin vulnarable. New York–based dermatologist Cheryl Karcher, MD, says: "Number one, the glucose makes the cells abnormal; and number two, it creates free radicals. So you get a double whammy when it comes to aging." During this process an inflammation appears which break down collagen and the result is sagging, wrinkled skin.

Sugar also triggers acne. Accordint to Dr. Perricone "when our blood sugar and insulin levels rise, whether from a poor diet or from stress, we experience a serious increase in inflammatory chemicals at a cellular level. This causes inflammatory diseases such as acne to worsen dramatically. Cortisol and other adrenal steroids can act as androgens (male hormones) and stimulate the sebaceous (oil) glands resulting in a flare-up of acne."

Conclusion:

Sugar as carbohydrates is essential for the body, but the emphasis is on the extraction. Our body is only able to utilize sugars in a natural form, like fruits, vegetables, etc.

The refined sugar is poison for the body, because it has deprived from its protein, enzymes, vitamins, mineral, which was originally found in sugar cane or sugar beet. What's left is refined carbohydrates, which is empty calories.

Sources:

Chow.com

Wikipedia

Healthland time

Venturpreneur

Real food for life

Wisegeek

Eating Well

Recpes-how stuffs works

Sugar.ca

Webmd

Daily Perricone

Antal Vali.com

Antal Vali.com

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