20 January, 2009

Health Tip of the Day - Sugar Causes Genetic Damage

Giving in to the urgings of the sweet tooth has farther reaching consequences than one might think. We know about the blood sugar roller coaster that results from that chocolate bar you crave. It turns out that the effects last for weeks, and may even effect future generations.

Australian scientists at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute study the impact of diet on human heart tissue and mice. The results of this study appear in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

The study showed that sugar consumption changes the way that the body responds to food. Sugar switches off genetic controls designed to protect the body against diabetes and heart disease. They found that cells show the effects of a one-time dose of sugar for fourteen days. If human genes remember a sugar hit for two weeks, imagine what happens when sugar consumption becomes a habit. Prolonged poor eating habits are capable of permanently altering DNA. This damaged DNA may be passed on to the next generation, putting into motion a downward spiral of poor health for posterity.

It would seem that the same may be true for other 'junk food' items. Put some serious thought into what you eat, and what you feed your family. We may regret our dependence on mass produced Franken Food for generations. Perhaps it is time we take back control of our families' health.

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