Cramps after eating sugars

Question
I am an active 70 year old man.  For many years I have noticed I get leg and ankle ceamps at night if I eat any fruit or juice or ice cream, any thing containing sugars.
I get relief by using heat and drinking tonic water (quinine). What causes this and does it mean sugars interfere with some essential nutrient?

Answer
Hi Gerald - this is a tough question to answer.  The cramps could really be connected to any number of things going on in the body.  Do the cramps occur on the nights after a workout?   Applying heat is a good option, and it seems to work for you.
In terms of sugar - it does cause loss of essential nutrients in the body - especially minerals.  Since sugar contains virtually no nutrients, your body must use it's own resources (esp. minerals) to properly digest it in the body.  So in that sense, it drains your body of minerals - even if it results in pulling these nutrients from muscle tissue, bone, etc.  I'm mostly talking about refined sugar here...fruit doesn't have the same effect since it's nutrients are intact.  But if you're noticing these items cause problems for you, try to cut down on anything with refined sugar and stick to fruits earlier in the day...instead of eating them close to bedtime.
Hope this helps!
Take care and be well,
Amanda

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