Unsurprisingly, the month of February is a leading month for chocolate sales. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent approximately $1.8 billionon Valentine’s Day chocolates in 2023! Curious how much chocolate that amounts to? Reportedly, we spent $1.8 billionon 58 million poundsof chocolate. That’s a lot of chocolate. The biggest problem with this, from my perspective, is that the month becomes an excuse to up our sugar intake.
The average American is said to consume 80 pounds of sugar a year. What does that look like on the daily? Three cans of soda, a large fast-food milk shake, a large Frappuccino plus coffee cake, or how about fruit juice plus flavored yogurt plus granola bar? Then we add Valentine’s chocolate to that. Gulp.
But what does sugar have to do with autophagy? It prevents it from occurring.
Cellular autophagy, as we have learned, is a vital recycling process that takes cells with old, worn out, damaged parts and breaks them down, reusing the molecules to create new, healthy parts. It’s like an internal update, remodel, or refresh that supports our health. There are lifestyle hacks we can do to support this vital process, and there are things we do that suppress it.
One of the physiologic responses that arises from eating a lot of sugar is increased insulin levels. Eating sugar raises blood sugar levels. Elevated blood sugar levels stimulate insulin secretion. The more sugar in the diet, the more insulin is required to process it.
Insulin resistance also causes elevated insulin. This is common in our nation, where a modest estimate puts 30 percent of the American population in this state. Insulin resistance can factor into a variety of metabolic-related health concerns, including type-2 diabetes. It is interesting to note that the very thing that insulin is suppressing is actually protective against type-2 diabetes. Cellular autophagy has important roles in preventing type-2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and our ability to process blood sugar. “Additionally, autophagy aids in preserving the survival and function of pancreatic beta (β)-cells by eliminating harmful proteins within these cells, which is vital for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. In individuals with diabetes, autophagy usually is inhibited or impaired, leading to the accumulation of harmful substances within cells, which can further exacerbate insulin resistance and metabolic instability.”[1]
Clearly, cellular autophagy is important. So far, we have learned that intermittent fasting and decreasing sugar in the diet can protect this vital process. We will learn more on this topic next month.
How does autophagy relate to our spirituality? The process of “dying to self” (as Scripture expresses it) actually leads to freedom in Christ. Rather than resulting in self-destruction, this biblical injunction allows the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the hindrances to spiritual rejuvenation and rebirth. Embracing spiritual autophagy will lead to a more abundant life.
[1] Wang, Ning, et al. “Autophagy: Playing an Important Role in Diabetes and Its Complications.” Medicine in Drug Discovery, vol. 22, 4 Apr. 2024, p. 100188, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medidd.2024.100188.
