Stress and Sugar

With stress being amongst the top ten most common ailments suffered in the UK, as many as 90% of visits to the doctors may be related to the condition. Experts agree that our modern life style is often to blame: lack of exercise, working under greater pressure and reduced family support

A certain amount of stress in our life is good for us, but long term stress can trigger off many major illnesses, such as depression, low libido, anxiety, hair loss, eczema and irritable bowel. Under stress we produce too much adrenaline which makes the heart beat faster and raises blood pressure.

But lifestyle isn't the only source of stress - stimulants aggravate the situation. The popular image of stimulants is drink, drugs and a wild life-style, so you will probably be surprised to find out just how many substances that you use every day are classed as stimulants because of the effect they have on your body.

A stimulant gives you energy in the short term by inducing a stress reaction and, so that your body has the energy to respond to its perceived state of stress, you may want to eat or drink more and your blood pressure will probably rise. This reaction is known as "fight or flight" from the time in man's history when stress was caused by something like meeting a saber-toothed tiger round the corner and having the option of fighting it or running away. The action of running away or fighting would use up the extra energy generated by the stress and return the body to its normal, non-stressed state.

Modern stresses tend not to be resolved by physical actions such as running away. Twenty-first century man (and woman) is more likely to be stressed in a traffic jam, or in a meeting with the bank manager. The body is in a stressed state for longer with no means of resolving it.

In a state of stress, the body stops repairing itself so that it can concentrate on reacting to the perceived stress. On a long-term basis, stressing the body with stimulants will impair the body's natural ability to repair itself, resulting in a faster aging process.

Sugar is a dietary stimulant which you will find in confectionery, soft drinks and many hidden sources where you wouldn't expect to find it - particularly highly processed foods, even when they're supposed to be savory! Check the labels, especially keeping alert for aliases such as sucrose, fructose, sorbitol, glucose, lactose and maltose. Although we need glucose for energy, it should not be presented to the body in a simple, concentrated form.

Grains, pulses, fruit or vegetables are better sources of starch or complex carbohydrates for satisfying our energy needs - which will also bring the added benefit of fiber to your diet.

Over-consumption of sugar has many ill effects on your body: you can easily put on weight; your teeth may decay; B vitamins and chromium are used up by sugar consumption, so you may develop a deficiency in these nutrients. Chromium deficiency has been linked to early onset diabetes; also heart problems due to high-sugar diets increasing the levels of fat in the blood. This increases the risk of cholesterol and clots - possibly causing heart attacks and strokes.

Fatigue, acne and PMS are also linked with vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Gall-bladder, kidney and Crohn's disease, have all been linked to high sugar consumption, also ulcerative colitis, cancer of the colon and enlarged liver because of accumulated fat.

Alcohol is a sugar-containing stimulant with the extra effect that it is addictive. On the negative side, alcohol depletes vitamins and minerals, depresses your immune system and increases the risk of breast, colon and rectal cancers. But an occasional glass of wine, beer or spirits is unlikely to do you much harm - and a daily glass of red wine has been found protective against heart disease.

However, moderation is the key. Regular drinkers should experiment with a "dry" week, to check for dependence.

If you are pregnant, or planning to become a parent (male or female), remember there is NO safe level of alcohol for your baby.

While we may have little control over our life's circumstances, for most people, what we eat and drink is a matter of choice. Choosing to restrict sugar intake is a wise move on many fronts.