We can actually say that sugar is the gasoline of our body. We need sugar and cannot exist without it. Our body loves sugar and our liver can even make it (through the gluconeogenesis process). Therefore is sugar actually not bad for us, as we might think. However, the problem is the form of sugar we consume and the amount of it we consume on a daily basis.
The food industry knows that we crave sugar and to make this unnatural overly processed „food“ we have on the market today, a lot of sugar and salt is put into it to make it taste good.
In order to process sugar it is crucial that our body contains enough minerals for the metabolic process. People suffering from blood sugar imbalances, are insulin resistant or have diabetes, are often mineral deficient and therefore might have a weaken ability to regulate glucose levels. Minerals are also important for a proper insulin function, but unfortunately in todays world, many people are lacking many important minerals.
When there is sugar in our bloodstream, our pancreas starts to produce insulin that enters in our blood stream. Insulin is like the key that opens the door for the sugar to enter into our cells. Insulin (the key) binds to insulin receptors (the key hole) on our cells – and that is how the ’door‘ of the cells opens up for the sugar to come in. A number of nutrients need to be available within the cell, for the key to fit into the key hole. Among others, there are two very important minerals that are often lacking in our bodies and that is chromium and vanadium. If these important nutrients are not there, the door of the cell cannot be opened and the sugar stays in the blood. The body starts to make more insulin, but the sugar can not get into the cells, because of lack of minerals and the cells will lack energy. This condition can lead to insulin resistance, that later will lead to diabetes, if the internal state is not changed.
A scientific study made on mice in 1957, showed that if chromium was eliminated from the diet of mice, the mice got diabetes (type 1 or type2). When they got chromium rich diet, the diabetes went away. Chromium increases the amount of insulin receptor on the cell and insulin binding to cells.
Further studies have been done on vanadium that show the same thing. Minerals that are important for sugar metabolic are zinc, magnesium, chromium, manganese, copper and vanadium. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the body contains these minerals in sufficient amount.
Where can you get those important minerals? Of course, we can take mineral supplements to fill the tank, but I would rather advice to get it from the food we eat. Every day eat at least one or more servings of the following; green leafy vegetable, herbs, broccoli, green beans, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, radishes, onions, garlic, bananas, figs, barley, oats, nuts and seeds.
