Sugar is a drug and it’s harming and killing millions of people every year. This article helps us discover if sugar is a poison, but if you haven’t read the other previous article (Obesity isn’t the problem – click here to read) then I recommend you read it first.Otherwise, let’s crack on and discuss the truth behind sugar, and if we can go as far as calling sugar a poison. Zoe Williams. An average American adult consumes 22 tsp of sugar per day. Sugar is called the “white death” as it is believed to be the cause of various health issues. Sugar is poison. Few simple substances stir up as much controversy as sugar. “Therefore, you have to eat more and you feel lousy doing it.”, In a study Lustig published in 2004 in the International Journal of Obesity, he found that when obese participants’ insulin levels were lowered with medicine, people had more energy and even started exercising spontaneously and voluntarily. When there’s too much fructose, your liver also stores the excess for later, but this time as fat. Other strategies to limit sugar intake include cooking at home; watching out for sneaky, sugary foods like salad dressings, pasta sauce, and breakfast cereal; avoiding soda, juice and other sweetened beverages; and opting for foods as close to their natural state as possible. Though it’s important to help fuel our cells or store energy sources for later, insulin isn’t always the good guy. Lustig believes industrial food companies are majorly responsible for inventing new forms of sugar and hiding it in places it shouldn’t be. So off my soap box now and back to sugar! We get enough sugar from fruits and other sources to make up for any nutritional need our bodies may have for it. “If you’re drinking quarts of sugar-sweetened beverages a day and eating a lot of junk food, it’s not very good for you.”. “I am not for dessert for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Without major shifts in consumer preferences, systemic change towards using less sugar by these mammoth organizations seems unlikely. Sugar is in most indulgent foods, yes, but so are other refined carbohydrates, as well as fat and salt. Dr Martin classified refined sugar as a poison because it has been depleted of its life forces, vitamins and minerals. Sugar can seem so fundamental to our diets that we rarely think about how it actually functions in the body. Then, there’s “added sugar,” the type that most nutritionists and physicians are more concerned about. Marion Nestle, Ph.D., the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University and author of Food Politics and Unsavory Truth has been studying the food system since 1985 and takes a more measured approach. Humans [and animals] are “unable to subsist on a diet of sugar”. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, irritability, mood-swings, persistent migraines, and even episodes of seizures – all linked to high sugar consumption. Sugar isn’t poison, but it definitely isn’t good for you. “What we realized was that the gluttony and sloth that we were seeing in the obese population and the fact that everyone was getting obese was not the primary problem. Highlights. Ultimately, metabolic syndrome can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even death. Unlike sugar, which provokes the release of insulin in response to its consumption, xylitol is metabolized independently of insulin in the gut. “The payload is sugar, and it’s killing people just like any nuclear bomb would. Practical Wisdom - Interesting Ideas 42,442 views. By Smitha Suresh • 8 min read The journey from Bengaluru to Mysore in Karnataka is one of the most scenic in the country. There are two types of sugars in the American diet: naturally-occurring sugars and added sugars. Documentaries like Fed Up, books like Salt Sugar Fat, and viral articles demonize the white powdery substance many know and love. And, as ever, if you think this article may be useful to someone else please do feel free to share it with them.  And maybe come over and join the conversation in The Steps To Health Facebook Group, you’ll be most welcome. Lactose is derived from dairy products, while sucrose is a combination of fructose and glucose. 116 likes. And it's killing people.". Fiber is a matrix with the sugars inside and takes longer to break down, Lustig explains. Copyright © 2018 WeighBetter. Fructose is the type of sugar that can be found in fruit and vegetables. “They could have put cocaine in the food, but that’s illegal. It’s easy to hit that number. From that day to this, the sugar industry has invested millions of dollars in behind-the-scenes, subsidized science. Sugar is everywhere, whether we know it or not. Much of the sugar from fibrous food is absorbed by bacteria in the intestine, supporting healthy gut function, and doesn’t actually cause an insulin response. The term sugar refers to sucrose or table sugar made from sugar cane or sugar beet. “The vehicle is processed food,” Lustig says. Sugar: Toxic to Digestion Much like pouring sugar into the gas tank of a car will gum up the engine, sugar has a negative effect on digestion and nutrient absorption. But if there’s too much glucose in the body, insulin stores the excess in liver or muscle cells as glycogen, which can be broken down and used in the future. You may have seen a YouTube video in which Dr. Robert Lustig of UCSF opines that calories are irrelevant and that sugar is, in essence, the root of all dietary evil. “And that’s the national school breakfast program,” he says. Sugar is an integral part of our daily diet but it's also called the white poison because of its harmful side effects. 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