The Influence of Sugar and Disease

Document Type:Thesis

Subject Area:Health Care

Document 1

Furthermore, sugars are manufactured commercially and added to foods to give them a sweet flavor and play other roles such as adding certain textures to foods (Smith, 2012). In other cases, sugars contribute to the preservation of certain foods by binding the water in those products and thus making them prone to microbial growth. Recent studies have however focused on the possible relationship between sugars and health. For example, there is the possibility that too much sugar consumption leads to overweight problems or nutritionally poor diets (Smith, 2012). Such worries point at the over-consumption of sugars. Their study revealed that consuming starch and fats in moderation following treatment could have protective benefits including, minimizing a patient’s risk to recurrence or even death.

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Also in the study, the researchers followed up with the pre and post-treatment diets as well as the health outcomes of over four hundred cancer patients. Eventually, they concluded that patients who were subjected to a ketogenic diet in the years after cancer treatment proved to be beneficial for the patients. This included reducing their risk of cancer recurrence and mortality (Arthur et al. Tontonoz (2016), also inform the public on the link between sugar and the development of diseases such as cancer. Ellenbroek, Dijck, Töns, Rabelink, Carlotti, Ballieux, & Koning (2014) conducted a study on mice that had cell masses. Long periods of limited sugar on the mice led to intolerance for glucose. Furthermore, in practice, ketogenic diets have been used for managing weight and in treating refractory epilepsy.

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The KD-fed mice were observed to display a reduction in their beta-cell mass and a high number of smaller islets. Furthermore, the mass of the alpha cells was noted to have markedly decreased, leading to a reduced alpha and beta cell ratio. Hence, a ketogenic diet proves useful in reducing the body mass of an individual and thus the prevention of diseases that could be otherwise harmful or result in high cases of mortality. Ketogenic diets have been utilized in many clinical settings in the treatment of epilepsy, and it is currently being used by the public for weight loss management and diabetes. Many nutritionists point at the risk involved when following a ketogenic diet. They warn that it is a challenging diet to follow and lacks most nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables.

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Furthermore, they warn of the possibility of heart risks especially in individuals suffering from heart diseases. For example, it has been theorized that children tend to demonstrate high motor activity at low blood glucose levels. Most studies have consisted of normal children and those that have historically been noted to behave poorly following sugar ingestion. These studies have also involved children that have been diagnosed with attention deficit disorders as well as delinquent children. Moreover, this topic may provide future scientists with information on sugar quantities that may have an impact on the behavior of individuals. References Arthur, A. Gower, B. A. Higher carbohydrate intake is associated with increased risk of all-cause and disease-specific mortality in head and neck cancer patients: Results from a prospective cohort study.

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