shares his thoughts on the "Sugar Conspiracy"
Friday March 29, 2013
Most of us can't help having sweet feelings towards a slice of birthday cake, or a piece of after dinner chocolate. Unfortunately, many of us are unaware of the dangers that lurk behind the processed white sugar in these products. As a doctor, it shocks and upsets me to know that these dangers were known to the sugar industry, yet were hidden from the public for monetary gains. Now, thanks to the untiring efforts of Cristin Couzens, a dentist, the sugar industry's dirty secrets have been exposed for all to see.
The Sugar Conspiracy
In the 1970s, a number of different studies emerged linking sugar to diseases such as diabetes, heart problems, inflammation, and other serious illnesses. People began eyeing sugar more hesitantly, and the sugar industry began losing sales. To turn this loss around, the sugar industry spearheaded a massive public relations campaign. Their mandate was to suppress papers highlighting the dangers of sugar, and to change the public's perception to ensure that sugar would not meet the same fate as tobacco.
In her hunt for evidence against the sugar industry, Couzens came across a confidential folder containing the sugar industry's official press strategies. These documents described the industry's efforts to sponsor scientific research, silence media reports that were critical of sugar, and block dietary guidelines to limit sugar consumption. Clearly, the sugar industry used Big Tobacco’s tactics to deflect a growing concern over the negative effects of sugar.
In the 1970s, the sugar industry spent over $230,000 to fund scientific research that would support the healthful claims associated with sugar. Their efforts resulted in a "highly supportive" FDA ruling, which made it "unlikely that sugar will be subject to legislative restriction in coming years."
Over the subsequent decades, sugar was transformed from a dangerous additive into an innocent nutrient approved by the American Heart Association and even the American Diabetes Association. Couzens was shocked to hear dentists saying that soda and sweetened tea were perfectly fine to drink.
Being a man of science, I'm sickened and angry that scientists had such a huge role to play in this awful 'conspiracy'. It disgusts me to know that we, the public, have been lied to and misled to believe that sugar is healthy. It is my intention to steer you in the direction of the truth and to put refined sugar in its rightful place: out of your body.
The Bitter Truth About Sugar
Refined sugar causes various health problems, and they start right at the mouth. When the normal bacteria inside your mouth come into contact with sugar, acid is produced, which destroys tooth enamel and eventually results in tooth decay.
Eating excess refined sugar causes the pancreas to over-produce or under-produce insulin, resulting in hypoglycaemia (the sugar blues), or diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes). These conditions eventually exhaust your liver, pancreas and adrenal glands as they try to keep your sugar levels in balance.
Furthermore, when the insulin levels in your body are high, certain short-lived hormones in our cells become pro-inflammatory. This leads to a growth of hidden inflammation, which is now seen as one of the biggest causes for heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases.
To compound issues, a lot of vitamins and minerals are used up in the digestion of refined sugar. This process can deplete B-vitamins, calcium, and magnesium stores from your body which can lead to fatigue, depression, anxiety, osteoporosis and even arthritis.
Thanks to the sugar industry's propaganda, by 1980 most people were convinced that sugar was not toxic. But as some people were still wary of sugar, the industry created a 'sweet' solution to dissolve all anti-sugar thinking once and for all.
Sugar, By Any Other Name...
That solution was called High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), which is a liquefied version of sugar. The sugar industry put its advertising team to the test once again, and successfully convinced the public that HFCS was the safe alternative to sugar. As HFCS was cheaper to produce than processed sugar, manufacturing companies quickly switched from pricey sugar to the cheaper high fructose corn syrup.
Researchers soon found that long-term consumption of the HFCS led to increases in body fat and higher levels of triglycerides. They also found that individuals who drank beverages containing HFCS had higher levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and higher levels of triglycerides than those who drank sucrose-sweetened beverages. Both LDL and high triglycerides are associated with the development of heart disease, diabetes and even liver fibrosis.
And here's where the story gets really interesting...
As people began pushing back with doubts about the safety of HFCS, the sugar industry is now pushing back with a "healthier, more natural alternative" to HFCS, called glucose. Can you guess what glucose is?
It's good old-fashioned sugar.
Slow Poison
In 2009, a pediatric endocrinologist named Robert Lustig shocked the health world by posting a public lecture titled 'Sugar: The Bitter Truth' on YouTube. His lecture received more than three million views. Not only does Lustig state that sugar is bad for us; he also states that it's a toxin—a poison—that's just as bad for our health as tobacco or alcohol. He claims that sugar is dangerous because of the way that the body processes it.
Sugar is processed by the liver, causing it to work over-time. An over-worked liver means a fatty liver. And fatty liver can be dangerous. When liver cells die, these cells are replaced by scar tissue (called fibrosis). Severe fibrosis can cause liver failure, which includes symptoms such as jaundice, severe fatigue, or even coma. Amazingly, 20-30% of adults living in Western countries have been diagnosed with fatty liver.
The evidence speaks for itself: liver failure, heart disease, diabetes, inflammation and obesity. Call it high fructose corn syrup, glucose, or just plain old sugar: whatever the name, an over-consumption won't leave you with a sweet taste in your mouth. Do yourself and your body a favor: Avoid refined sugar altogether. Doing so will lead to the sweetest victory of all; your health.
