Last week, I discussed a harmful chemical, which has become universally used and added to food, snacks, soda and soft drinks, candies, and medicines, as if it is the most natural substance to our bodies. It is the artificial sweetener, aspartame, which gives you the “false freedom” to consume drinks and snacks without worrying about sugar effects, calories, and weight gain, giving you the impression it is as healthy as carrots or spinach. Soda drinks with the artificial sweetener, aspartame, have become “Diet” drinks overnight, in other words, “healthy.” In reality, they have nothing to do with good health or nature when you probe into their contents.

While I am still discussing soda drinks, I will explore energy drinks and Red Bull in particular, because of its effect on young people and the way it is abused.

Many young people and teenagers enjoy having energy drinks (Red Bull…) in order to pep them when they are sleep deprived; wake them up to study longer hours before the exams; give them extra energy to exercise; and stay up wide awake late at night with the shabab (youngsters). Little do they know of the amount of caffeine and sugar in one can of the drink. For example, one Red Bull contains high amounts of caffeine and sugar; let alone the cumulative amount of several cans.

Because Red Bull and the like can lead to cardiovascular disorder and stroke through thickening the blood, several Scandinavian countries, France, and others have banned the drink. In Kuwait, it has been restricted to teenagers under the age of 16 years, after one 16 year-old and one 21 year-old were stricken by heart attacks.

Red Bull does not only have high caffeine and sugar content, but also the “hazardous” chemical, glucuronolactone, developed in the US to boost the moral of American troops during the Vietnam War. The “hallucinogenic” chemical calmed down stress and anxiety in homesick soldiers. However, the compound was discontinued as a drug due to the many incidents of migraines, brain tumors and liver disorders the users developed.

The manufacturer of Red Bull warns not to exceed two cans, but the website does not make reference to any of the above symptoms or put a warning. The containers do not even warn about the chemical’s side effects. Because the caffeine and sugar in the beverage have a short-term vitalizing effect, youngsters and students go for more to keep them alert and awake, leading to a harmful addiction.

Red Bull can be deadly for hypertensive and heart patients due its blood clotting effect. Certain bars combine the energy drink with alcohol to heighten the effect of the mixture, a procedure that can be fatal. This is one of the reasons why some European countries ban it. Overloading on stimulants and depressants could lead to heart failure.

An Italian study on a volleyball player who had “acute psychosis” after high consumption of Red Bull, published in “The Journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society”, concluded that “Considering the widespread of use of Red Bull among young who are often unaware of the drink’s content, this case report suggests Red Bull be considered a possible cause of orthostatic intolerance.” This means the abnormal and sudden increase in heartbeat rate.

Restriction should be put on sales of Red Bull to youngsters who abuse the beverage.

Now I will talk about the “natural” sweetener, sugar, which is included in all types of drinks and processed foods and snacks, doing more harm than people think. Let us get into more details.

Sugar may be natural, because it is extracted from sugar cane, beet, or corn. However once isolated, it becomes calorie intensive and nutrient empty, meaning fattening with no nutritious value. Our brain cells (neurons) have receptors for sugar. When a child or an adult takes sugary food much too often, the brain demands for it more and sugar becomes addictive.

One wedge of cheesecake or an ice-cream cone can stop the activity of the immune system for four hours due to its sugar content. Too much sugar causes hyperactivity in children, too. Scientists also found that too much sugar consumption can leave a sticky substance on cells and neurons (brain cells), delaying much needed signals and communication between cells. How does sugar act in the body?

Sugar enters the body and bloodstream and causes insulin rush, which metabolizes the blood sugar very fast, making the consumer spent and low in sugar and energy, which results in fatigue, irritability, anger, and low mental responses. The person’s next reaction is to drink more sugary drinks, sweets, or chocolates to stabilize energy and mood. The yo-yo effect of extreme energy (sugar) and lethargy (drop in sugar) becomes a habit, which increases dependence on sugars for energy, harming health. High sugar consumption leads to weight gain and obesity in children and adults, which cause metabolic syndromes such as diabetes 2, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, strokes, and even cancer.

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is another type of sugar that is being shoved onto children and adults in soda and soft drinks, ice-creams, shakes, processed and bakery goods, desserts, and snack bars. Don’t be fooled by the word “fructose.” It is still a form of simple sugar, harmful to you. It has nothing to do with the benefits of eating the whole fruit. High consumption of HFCS can harm the liver by leaving multiple scratch-like scars on the organ.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is another toxic chemical and an excitotoxin, as it is able to “overstimulate cells to death.” In studies, MSG caused muscle tightness, fatigue, numbness, allergies, headaches, and obesity among others.

Because it is a taste-enhancer, it was added to the food for the military to improve the flavor of their tasteless dishes. Eventually the food industry started using it freely without restrictions from the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA). MSG is commonly added to canned vegetables, bottled salad dressings, packet soups, chicken and beef stocks, and processed meat and foods to give taste to flavorless foods. Look for MSG, E-621, and yeast extract on labels.

I would like to warn about the popular minute noodles and foods that contain MSG like chips and crackers in packets. Both children and adults love and eat them in big amounts. They love and crave them. I wondered why until I discovered that the seasoning powders contain the artificial flavor enhancers, E-621 (a form of MSG), which makes children want to eat nothing else but these noodles. The seasoning also contains sugar. Just for information, the noodles are high in calories and empty in nutrients. So, what do you think will happen? Children get fatter with empty carbohydrates while becoming undernourished, affecting their health and their growth.

Scientists warn against neurotoxins and excitotoxins. According to neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock who is an authority on the subject, such toxic chemicals as MSG can do major undetectable damage to the brain of children and eventually as adults, they develop neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’ and Parkinson’s diseases.

Next week, I will tackle another topic on toxins in children’s lives. I am sorry if the subject has extended to 2015, but the more I dig, the more surfaces. May this year and the years to come bring us better health, improved climate and environment, less pollution and contamination, and more peace and tolerance in our lives.

N.B.:

Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.

The previous Health Solutions articles are located at www. arabnews.com

—

Email: [email protected]