Avoid Cane Sugar

Sucrose is the sugar from sugarcane. It is easily broken down by some of the bacteria in your mouth and the acid waste produced is the cause of tooth decay.

Sucrose is not present in any of the five food groups of a healthy diet.               It has no nutrients, vitamins or minerals.

The body can turn it into glucose but there are more nutritious sources of carbohydrate than cane sugar. Too much sucrose is thought to cause early depletion of insulin from the pancreas and trigger late onset diabetes. If the body cannot utilise the supply of glucose through exercise, it will store the glucose as fat.

Sucrose is added to most processed food as a sweetener, flavour enhancer and a preservative. It is actually an addictive stimulant implicated in hyperstimulation behaviour disorders in children, producing cravings, irritability, restlessness and poor concentration skills.

The use of sucrose as a food additive has only been prevalent in the last 250 years with the introduction of cane sugar from the West Indies and the spread of European influence globally. The West Indies slave trade was specifically established to provide cheap labour to grow sugar cane.

Previous to this, honey was used as a natural sweetner. Honey contains many beneficial substances, including antibacterial agents and can be used to preserve foods. It does not easily produce tooth decay.

Dentistry is a relatively recent profession, forming as a result of the sudden prevalence of tooth decay. Before sucrose entered the European diet, the need for dentistry was limited to extraction of worn or cracked teeth and  loose teeth from infected gums. This service was performed by barbers.

Whilst modern dentists can successfully repair the damage of tooth decay and improve the resistance of teeth and health of gums by correct cleaning, the single most effective way to prevent the enormous damage and expense of tooth decay, is to eliminate sucrose from the diet.