Added Sugar- Public Enemy No. 1?*

         

Every few years, the medical community releases a new study that pinpoints something we are doing or eating that is adversely affecting our health.  The latest culprit that has attracted the attention of the medical community is sugar, particularly added sugar.  Astonishingly, the average American consumes ~130 pounds of sugar per year.  In contrast, the average American in 1800 consumed five pounds of sugar per year.  The United States Department of Agriculture advises adults who eat a 2,000-calorie diet to limit sugar intake to about 40 grams (10 teaspoons) of added sugar per day.  As a point of reference, a 12-ounce can of soda contains about 39 grams of sugar.  Soda is an obvious source of added sugar, but sweeteners can also be found in other, less suspect foods like peanut butter and bread.  In addition, liquid sweeteners, such as high-fructose corn syrup, are processed by our bodies differently than other sugars.  Further, high-fructose corn syrup lacks any fiber, a component which slows sugar absorption by our bodies.  In contrast, consumption of fruit includes the natural sugar, but also the associated fiber.  Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco, believes the consumption of added sugars has caused America’s current public health crisis.  Dr. Lustig goes so far as to label sugar as toxic.

            According to Dr. Lustig and findings from other recent studies, the adverse effects on our health of over consumption of sugar are numerous.  The most obvious effects are obesity, type II diabetes, and tooth decay.  Beyond these, the other harmful effects of sugar are astounding and somewhat unexpected.  First, sugar affects our skin by causing the skin to lose the plump, elastic qualities that underlie a youthful appearance.  Further, sugar reduces the quality of collagen in the skin.  Excess sugar suppresses the immune system by reducing the ability of white blood cells to recognize and attack bacteria and viruses.  Sugar has also been linked to heart disease.  According to an extensive study by Kimber Stanhope, a nutritional biologist at the University of California, Davis, there is strong evidence linking excess high fructose corn syrup consumption to an increase in risk factors for heart disease and stroke.  Further, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health recently released a study in which they found that men who drink one sugar-sweetened beverage (e.g., regular soda, sports drinks, etc.) daily have a 20% higher risk of coronary heart disease than men who drink none.  A similar study in published in 2009, found that women who consumed one to two sugary drinks per day had a 23% increased risk of a heart attack.  Other studies have found links between certain types of cancers and sugar.  According to Dr. Lewis Cantley of Harvard Medical School, “nearly a third of some common cancers- including breast and colon cancers- have something called insulin receptors on their surface.  Insulin binds to these receptors and signals the tumor to start consuming glucose.”  These adverse effects are just the tip of the iceberg.  For a list of 146 reasons why sugar is ruining your health, go to www.rheumatic.org/sugar.htm.  

*This is an article that I wrote a few years ago.  I thought it would be appropriate as we begin a new year and attempt to adopt more healthful habits.