Sugar: The Not Sweet Story
The world runs on sugar. Sugar is in almost every aspect of our food, from our soda and green smoothies to our pad thai and hamburgers. Everyone knows that certain levels of sugar is bad, yet we consume large amounts daily, either knowingly or unknowingly. Our grandparents shower us with chocolate chip cookies and sugary sweets every time we visit, and we treat ourselves to sugar in its variety of forms daily. We openly laugh about how we’re addicted to sugar. This is often stated in a jokingly manner, but in reality, it shouldn’t be funny, as it could lead to serious consequences.
Dr. Robert Lustig is a professor of pediatrics in the division of endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco. He openly declares that sugar is poison, and he is the first to pronounce the war against sugar. In 2009, he gave a monumental 90 minute lecture detailing the detrimental effects sugar can have on our bodies, starting with the problematic obesity epidemic. Obesity is described to be a consequence of two abnormal conditions: excessive calorie intake, as well as insufficient calorie out, or in other words, insufficient exercise. Average calorie intake has been increasing in young children, up to 275 calories in teen boys, resulting in the obesity epidemic that has been sweeping our nation. What is key to this epidemic is the increase of sugar in our diets.
Although high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is often noted as a major cause of obesity and disease, Lustig argues it is no different than sucrose (table sugar) in terms of effects. However, we are just being led to believe it is worse due to its ubiquity in our diet, which comes from its low cost of production. This makes HFCS even more dangerous, as people often underestimate how prevalent it is in our diet. The 1960’s was the start of the low fat diet craze. Manufacturers had to make low fat foods taste good, and to do so, they used more sugar. Per Dr. Lustig, this is counterproductive, as sugar causes more fat than dietary fat or glucose. Consumers unknowingly were harming themselves while believing they were being healthy.
Our body processes various sugars differently, so 60 calories of glucose is not the same as 60 calories of sucrose. While glucose is used efficiently, used by all the body’s organs, sucrose is only processed in the liver, leading to production of toxic byproducts like uric acid, which is associated with diseases like hypertension and gout. This is why Dr. Lustig describes sugar as a poison -- because it can cause serious diseases.
You might be thinking, then what about fruits? Is that old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” also incorrect and harmful? In nature, fructose is generally found with large amounts of its counterpart, fiber. An apple, for example, has around 23 g of fructose, but around 4 g of fiber. Soda, which has around the same amount of fructose, contains no fiber. Prehistoric man consumed around 100 to 300g fiber a day, whereas humans today eat around 15g, as a result of highly processed foods in our diet. Fiber associated with sugars is good, because it slows the absorption of sugar in the gut, preventing blood sugar crashes and lowering risks of metabolic syndrome, and speeds up the feeling of fullness. So apples are, thankfully, not bad for you.
Now you know. However, the hard part is applying that knowledge to your own life. For sure, a life without sugar seems drab, and almost impossible. But, as Dr. Lustig argues, this is necessary. We as consumers must choose intelligently, avoiding high sugar foods and often, our beloved fast foods, and instead opting for healthier options like vegetables and fruits.
References:
http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/22/5-highlights-from-the-toxic-sugar-video/photo/cocacolacropped/
