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How Does Consuming Sugar and Ultra Processed Foods Impact Your Health?

Writer's picture: Dr. Cedrick NoelDr. Cedrick Noel

God created foods provide good energy to the human body

Man created (processed) foods provides bad energy to the human body

Good energy = optimal mental, physical and spiritual function

Bad energy = metabolic dysfunction, disease, poor mental, physical and spiritual function.  It is the root of disease.


In the US we are facing an unprecedented threat to humanity. Sugar and ultra-processed foods impact your mental and physical health

  • There is a life-threatening class of food that occupies 73% of the shelves in grocery stores, called ultra processed foods which is made to taste great and be addictive. 

  • There are 10,000 chemicals are found in the US food supply that are banned in Europe. 

  • Ultra processed foods are responsible for 75% of healthcare expenditure and they change you, your mind, your health and threatens your spiritual health.


Health problems related to sugar and ultra-processed foods

  • Chronic systemic Inflammation (diet)

  • Insulin resistance & diabetes (Sugar)

  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Linked to insulin resistance)

  • Acne (elevated glucose levels driving hormonal changes)

  • Depression (has a strong link to gut health)

  • Sinus infections and migraines: (linked to high blood sugar) 

  • Hearing loss (linked to Insulin resistance)

  • Autoimmune conditions (Strong metabolic link)


Prevalence of conditions associated with sugar and ultra-processed foods and how they impact your mental and physical health

  • Chronic pain: 20% of the US population (related to diet)

  • Infertility: 

    • In men sperm count has dropped 50-60% in the past decade.  

    • In women Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is the lead cause of infertility.  The NIH proposed to rename it metabolic reproductive syndrome (sugar metabolism).

  • Chronic fatigue: 10-30% of all US doctors visits are for symptoms of fatigue.

    • 67% of people in the US experience fatigue at work

    • 70% of people in the US experience sleep issues

    • 90% of people in the US consume caffeine daily

    • 85% of postmenopausal women have mental and physical exhaustion  

  • Since the 1970’s childhood obesity has more than tripled

  • The first case of nonalcoholic liver disease was reported in children in 1983.  Now 20% of children have it.

  • Epidemic levels of children mental illness (20% of children)

  • According to JAMA Pediatrics. In ages 3-17,  anxiety & depression increased 29% between 2016 and 2020.

  • Other metabolic conditions: dementia, stroke, heart disease, respiratory disease, arthritis… (conditions associated with diet)


73% of the US diet is Ultra-Processed

  • Definition of food:   absorbed to sustain life and growth

  • Effects of ultra-processed food in your body: 

    • Inhibits bone growth

    • Block nutrient absorption

    • Provides little to no energy and often robs you of energy


Verses (Living as those made alive in Christ)

Col 3:1  …..you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 

Col 3:2  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (things from above?)

Col 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful. 

  • Can you have peace when your body is inflamed by an immune response?

  • Can you have peace when you can’t sleep well and you are irritable?

  • Can you have peace when you don’t eliminate waste out of your body fast enough?

  • Your body heals and your brain detoxes when you sleep.


Dr Noel’s perspective is: to let the peace of Christ rule in your heart, set your mind on God, consume what He created for you to live on, and avoid the things that separate you from him.

  • Foods

  • Thoughts

  • Actions


Non-negotiables

Maintain good blood sugar balance (metabolic health)

Gastrointestinal health: Poop frequency and quality (microbiome health)

Sleep quality and quantity (balanced autonomics nervous system)


The heroes of this story: Protein, Fat & Fiber       

The villains: Sugar & Ultra-processed foods


Fiber can reduce caloric absorption

  • Eat 160 calories of almonds, you get 130, the other 30 is shielded and carried to the gut microbiome by fiber to feed bacteria.


Types of sugars matter

Glucose is essential in the human body and is the best source of energy which is metabolized by all organs.

  • Protein and Fat can be converted into sugar via gluconeogenesis.

Fructose has no purpose in the human body and is harmful (metabolized in the liver)

  • Too much will cause fatty liver disease and insulin resistance

  • Fructose in fruit is ok because it is paired with fiber

  • Fructose can be found in:

    • Honey, agave nectar, and molasses

    • Dried fruits, canned fruits, and fruit juices

    • Sauces, salad dressings, and condiments

    • Breakfast cereals with whole wheat, oats, and fruits

    • Candy, baked goods, and sodas

  • Fructose inhibits 3 enzymes required for energy production

Sucrose (crystalized) is the type of sugar we have had for a long time (Cane sugar is an example)

  • Sucrose composition: Glucose & Fructose bound together

High Fructose Corn Syrup (liquid)

  • HFCS composition: Glucose & Fructose unbound which makes it more harmful


Insulin Hormone

  • Your dietary goal for optimal health should be to utilize as little insulin as possible

  • Insulin: Essential for storing excessive sugar absorption into fat

  • Glucose does not require insulin to end up in muscle

  • Insulin protects you from excessive sugar which can be very dangerous

  • Cancer cells have 50 times more insulin receptors

  • Insulin is activated by sugar and branched chain fatty acid in processed foods

  • The best sugar alternative: Monk Fruit (sweeter, no effect on blood sugar)


Nova classifies food into four groups:

  1. Unprocessed or minimally processed foods Ideal! (Apple whole, peeled or cut)

  2. Unprocessed or Natural foods are obtained directly from plants or animals and do not undergo any alteration following their removal from nature. 

  3. Minimally processed foods are natural foods that have been submitted to cleaning, removal of inedible or unwanted parts, fractioning, grinding, drying, fermentation, pasteurization, cooling, freezing, or other processes that may subtract part of the food, but which do not add oils, fats, sugar, salt or other substances to the original food. 

  4. Processed culinary ingredients Acceptable! (cinnamon added to applesauce)

    • Group 2 is also called Processed Culinary Ingredients. These are products extracted from natural foods or from nature by processes such as pressing, grinding, crushing, pulverizing, and refining. They are used in homes and restaurants to season and cook food and thus create varied and delicious dishes and meals of all types, including broths and soups, salads, pies, breads, cakes, sweets, and preserves. Use oils, fats, salt, and sugar in small amounts for seasoning and cooking foods and to create culinary preparations. As long as they are used in moderation in culinary preparations based on natural or minimally processed foods, oils, fats, salt, and sugar contribute toward diverse and delicious diets without rendering them nutritionally unbalanced. 

  5. Processed foods Acceptable in small quantities! (Apple sauce with cinnamon, maybe added sugar, likely precooked, etc…)

    • Processed foods are products manufactured by industry with the use of salt, sugar, oil or other substances (Group 2) added to natural or minimally processed foods (Group 1) to preserve or to make them more palatable. They are derived directly from foods and are recognized as versions of the original foods. They are usually consumed as a part of or as a side dish in culinary preparations made using natural or minimally processed foods. Most processed foods have two or three ingredients. 

  6. Ultra-processed foods (73% of the US food supply) Avoid: dangerous if consumed! (McDonalds apple pie)

    • Ultra-processed foods specifically can cause health problems, including increased risk of obesity and cancer

    • Industrial formulations with five or more ingredients

    • Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations made entirely or mostly from substances extracted from foods (oils, fats, sugar, starch, and proteins), derived from food constituents (hydrogenated fats and modified starch), or synthesized in laboratories from food substrates or other organic sources (flavor enhancers, colors, and several food additives used to make the product hyper-palatable). Manufacturing techniques include extrusion, moulding and preprocessing by frying. Beverages may be ultra-processed. Group 1 foods are a small proportion of, or are even absent from, ultra-processed products.


In 2014, the Ministry of Health of Brazil published new dietary guidelines based in part on Nova

  1. Make natural or minimally processed foods, in great variety, mainly of plant origin, and preferably produced with agroecological methods, the basis of your diet.

  2. Use oils, fats, salt and sugar in small amounts for seasoning and cooking foods and to create culinary preparations.

  3. Limit the use of processed foods, consuming them in small amounts as ingredients in culinary preparations or as part of meals based on natural or minimally processed foods.

  4. Avoid ultra-processed products


Actions Steps in getting sugar and ultra-processed foods out to improve your health


Here is the recorded presentation covering everything discussed in this blog.


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