sugar and increase in symptoms

[meet]

I always keep reading that refined sugar is bad for MS patients but failed to understand why. Why only "refined" sugar. Recently I noticed that whenever I was taking refined sugar in my diet there was an increase in burning sensation in my legs. Again it was hard for me to believe that sugar could have such an effect. Thought it to be linked to diabetes, but blood tests were always normal. Can someone give me a scientific reason for increase in symptoms due to higher intake of sugar.

[Quest56]

Good question, I've also noticed a connection between sugar and symptoms, specifically bladder problems, most recently I've been dealing once again with an increase in nocturia (6+ times per night). I'd thought I had this under control using a medicinal cannabis tincture before bed (I can deal with 2 times per night which must be near normal for a 55 yo male). Then it hit me I've been consuming more white sugar recently, something I'd pretty much weaned myself from the last few years. I'm going to drop this again completely and see if I sleep better (back to dates).

A quick look turned up a link about sugar and inflammation: sugar can stimulate production of inflammatory white blood cells (macrophages) and lead to increased production of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1B), which has been shown to weaken the blood brain barrier (at least in mice).

http://weeksmd.com/2009/08/sugar-and-inflammation/
http://msj.sagepub.com/content/9/6/540.abstract

--Tracy

[lyndacarol]

meet, I'm so glad you asked!!!… (Old friends here will not be surprised that I respond.)

As you old timers know, my suspicions revolve around too much insulin in the body. To your question, meet, "Why refined?" let me explain: refined flour (similar texture to talcum powder), white bread (made from this flour), white refined rice, sugar, even white potatoes become glucose VERY QUICKLY in the bloodstream and stimulate the pancreas to produce more than enough insulin necessary to clear the excess glucose from the blood. While the body is producing all this insulin, the cells are being forced to take in the glucose – your glucose level will be normal. When your pancreas becomes exhausted or the cells just refuse to let in one more molecule of insulin escorting blood sugar, the blood sugar floats freely in the bloodstream and type II diabetes is diagnosed.

Insulin is a strong irritant; I believe it damages the insides of the blood vessels, causing the feeling like a raw, bad sunburn that I get in my legs. I suspected it causes damage wherever it roams freely and this damage triggers the immune response. I know that insulin can cross the blood-brain barrier. Excess insulin causes metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance (some scientists link excess insulin to obesity – insulin is necessary to store glucose as fat –, heart disease, hypertension, even high cholesterol as well as type II diabetes); it strongly affects the muscles (I think skeletal muscle insulin resistance is the root of weakness in MS).

I have found NO expert in MS who supports these wild ideas. This all seems logical to me, given my chronically elevated "fasting blood insulin levels." I thank all my friends here for their patience and tolerance – they have heard this many times before.

[Quest56]

I always keep reading that refined sugar is bad for MS patients but failed to understand why. Why only "refined" sugar.

I've been trying to understand this better, but am quickly over my head. I think the answer has to do with the glycemic index of refined sugar, and the fact that the body releases the hormone insulin to lower the glucose content of the blood. The higher the glycemic index of the food, the more insulin is released.

Here's a link to an article that talks about inflammation induced by insulin:

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-is-Inflam ... &id=633936

One man's guess.

--Tracy

[lyndacarol]

By the way, the sweetness of artificial sweeteners actually triggers the pancreas to secrete MORE insulin than regular table sugar does. Drinking diet soda may reduce the calorie intake over the amount of calories found in regular soda. "Calories" is not the target of reduction; one should aim at reducing the amount of insulin.

[hadriena108]

Lately I've been having numbness and tingling, and it happened when I ate some sugar, a couple sugar free chocolate wafers and two chocolate pecan delights. A few days before that I had some other sugars, lemon meringue pie and strawberry shortcake. A few days before that lemon sandwich cookies, a cinnamon roll, and some dried mangoes. I had been sick for about a week. My energy was extremely low. All I could think about was how sick I felt---dizzy, my arms, legs, feet, hands, arms and the right side of my face felt numb, and lightheaded. I also had this weird feeling that my right eye was a hole in my head. Fortunately these symptoms passed and I was able to feel like myself again. I've been trying to eat healthy, but I ate some plain string beans and some premium Nabisco crackers and I felt shaky, and the sick feeling returned, but it passed. It seems like foods with sugar bring on these symptoms, but its hard to avoid sugar when it's in vegetables, beans, bread, hotdogs, peanut butter, crackers, and milk. I still feel some numbness in my hand and foot. It felt like sugar was depressing my immune system.

[NHE]

Welcome to ThisIsMS hadriena108. I have dramatically reduced the amount of sugar I consume. I used to consume quite a bit and never paid much attention. However, changes in my sensitivity to and desire for sugar started after I had switched from sweetened flavored yogurts to plain yogurt. It's amazing how much sugar is in processed food such as sweetened yogurt. So much so that it actually qualifies as a dessert. I find that I'm fairly sensitive to sugar now. One time I had a small piece of cake at a family member's birthday dinner and I felt like I was shaking inside for an hour afterwards. Sugar is toxic. It's really that simple. The problem is that most of us, including me for many years, have no idea how pervasive it is in everyday food items. If you have bad reactions to sugar, then it's probably best to give it up as much as possible. In addition, you may be interested in watching a presentation given by Dr. Robert Lustig titled "Sugar, The Bitter Truth."

[NHE]

In addition, you may be interested in watching a presentation given by Dr. Robert Lustig titled "Sugar, The Bitter Truth."

Here's a newer version pf his talk which was given at the University of Utah.

[brm]

Very interesting talk, thanks for posting this!