Greetings! In today’s class, we shall discuss sugar substitutes and honey.
Sugar Substitutes
Some people who crave sweets and realize their harmfulness (or perhaps have disabled the pancreas and so cannot use them, and have not learned to re-educate their appetites) turn to sugar substitutes as a way out of their dilemma. Such a course is not safe, as the following citations will show.
There are a number of products on the market which are used in the place of sugars, but they are harmful to the digestive tract and should not be used. Among these are saccharin, dulcin, and glucin. These sweeteners are not allowed to be used in food products.
“Saccharin belongs to the great family of coal tar products, many of which are active heart poisons, hence it is not surprising that careful observation has shown it to be a highly injurious drug.” “Under its influence the heart’s action is lessened in vigor and its continued use may give rise to serious injury.”
The re-education of our taste desires is easier than many people think. It begins by securing a knowledge of that which is good for the health of the body. It is then followed by a balanced ration of good foods which in time becomes so satisfying that the appetite is satisfied without the former usual amounts of sweet foods. From that point forward, the interest in concentrated sweets declines until, with many people, they cease to be sources of special temptation; the desire for them has been superseded by desires for better foods. That the student may achieve this high ideal is the purpose of this class.
Honey
Most nutritionists regard honey as a more favorable sweet than the refined sugars. Sometimes the price of honey is high. There is one way to cut the price, – move to the country and keep your own bees.
“The almost universal craving for sweets, especially in children, best proves that there is a true
need for them in the human system. The two invert sugars that honey contains (75 percent in most grades) have many advantages as food substances. Ordinary sugar, also starch, must undergo digestion, a process that changes them into simple sugars the same as, or similar to, those found in honey. The sugars of honey, therefore, may be considered as predigested; hence the use of honey takes a load of work off the stomach and pancreas.
“Dr. G. N. W. Thomas of Edinburgh, Scotland, said: ‘In heart weakness I have found honey has a marked effect in reviving the heart action and keeping patients alive. I had further evidence of this in a recent case of pneumonia. The patient consumed two pounds of honey during the illness; there was an early crisis, with no subsequent rise of temperature and an exceptionally good pulse. I suggest that honey should be given for general physical repair, and above all, for heart failure.’
“Dr. B.F. Beck of New York City declared that during his nearly half century of medical practice he had met many surprisingly energetic fold of advanced age with remarkably healthy complexions. In taking their histories, the report of a liberal daily dose of honey was often a part of the story.
“Many nervous states can be attributed to excessive sugar consumption. Our swift modern life requires rapid metabolism to create and to replace the much-needed physical and mental energy. Simple sugar can supply this need much better than can the ordinary refined products, which are not only hard to digest, but tend to cause such ills as gastric ulcer, renal diseases, and diabetes. Dr. Beck states that ‘sugar is just as habit-forming as narcotics, and its uses, misuse, and abuse, a modern nutritional disaster. Viewing the many channels through which we find refined sugar getting into the alimentary canal (such as candy, ice cream, soft drinks, syrups, pastry, jams, and jellies), besides the sugar bowl, it is not hard to believe.”
By God’s grace, we can separate ourselves from the common way of life, like John the Baptist. “John separated himself from friends, and from the luxuries of life. The simplicity of his dress, a garment woven of camel’s hair, was a standing rebuke to the extravagance and display of the Jewish priests, and of the people generally. His diet, purely vegetable, of locusts and wild honey, was a rebuke to the indulgence of appetite, and the gluttony that everywhere prevailed.” CD 71.
“My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:” Prov. 24:13
Grab a friend and share the wealth, from what you’ve learned in the School of Health! In our next class, we shall discuss juice, as a therapy. God bless!
Previous Lessons: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8