To The Editor:
A large reason for the rampant increase in diabetes (Opinion
and Comment, 11 Teves) is due to excess sucrose consumption.
In the West we now eat on average more than 120 lb. of sugar
per year each (2 1/2 lb. per week!), much of it as hidden
filler in foods! "If only a small fraction of what is already
known about sugar were to be revealed, this food additive
would promptly be banned!" (Professor J. Yudkin in his book
Pure, White and Deadly).
Apart from over consumption of bee and date honey, there was
little to overstress the sensitive human insulin system until
the 16th century and the advent of refined cane sugar.
Initially sugar used to be a luxury for only the wealthy, and
one of the first victims was Queen Elizabeth I, who developed
black teeth due to her sugar craving!
One of the best current alternatives to sucrose is its mirror-
image molecule, xylitol. Unlike other sugar substitutes,
xylitol is totally natural, being made from the xylan in wood
fiber. Xylitol occurs naturally in the body, is completely
nontoxic and without side-effects, looks and tastes exactly
like sucrose but with 50 percent less calories, is not
glycemic, does not stress the pancreas, alkalizes the body
rather than acidifying it like sucrose, will not cause acid
heartburn unlike sucrose, inhibits bacteria, especially in
the middle ear, and candida albicans (yeast), and not only
does not cause tooth decay, but by alkalizing the mouth helps
to remineralize teeth and repair them!
Roemheld's Syndrome is a common but little mentioned result
of excess sucrose consumption. It is caused by stomach
dysfermentia leading to splinting of the diaphragm, twisting
of the cardiac axis, ill-defined chest pains, and even
cardiac infarction. It is very prevalent amongst the Orthodox
but is frequently misdiagnosed: Oy mein mogen! is a
frequent motzei Shabbos howl in heimishe
households!
Unfortunately, the diet of many Orthodox Yidden today leaves
much to be desired, and sugar craving can be observed in
almost every household. Many children are raised on a diet of
soft drinks and candy. Excess consumption of sugar has
recently been shown to have a role in criminal tendencies,
and may even be a causative factor in the rise in hyper-
excitable behavior and filial disrespect amongst youth (which
is a pre-Messianic sign — Sotah 49!), who are
given more and more mamtakim by their parents in a
vain attempt to quiet them down, but which only makes them
worse: "If you find honey, eat it only until satiety, lest
you vomit it forth. . . . It is not good to eat much honey!"
(Mishlei 25)
Faithfully yours,
Dr. Willy Goldberg
Tel Aviv
The writer is a dental surgeon and holistic
practitioner.
