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Is Sugar Toxic?

By Expert HERWriter
 
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Healthy Eating related image Photo: Getty Images

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco have proposed that sugar should be regulated just like alcohol because of detrimental effects to the human body.

If you don’t agree, try giving up the sweet stuff for seven days and see how well you do. Most people can’t make it past the first twenty-four hours.

Sugar is in everything. When you read labels, you’ll notice it in cereals, energy bars, coffee drinks (think whip, chocolate, syrups), spaghetti sauces, salad dressings, yogurt, and of course desserts and candy.

With obesity at an all time high, patients are battling associated diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pre-diabetes/diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, sleep apnea, skin problems and more.

All of this sugar excess can cause liver problems, insulin resistance and a very difficult time losing weight. While a lot goes into obesity (lack of exercise, high simple carbohydrate diet, genetics), sugar definitely plays a major role.

Some experts believe that sugar is as addictive as tobacco, alcohol or drugs and that this addiction often starts in early childhood when children learn to appreciate sweet treats and desserts.

The American Heart Association recommended women max out at 20grams (or 5 teaspoons) of sugar per day while men can have a little more at 36 grams (or 9 teaspoons) and children shouldn’t go above 12 grams (or 3 teaspoons) per day.

Work to break this pattern and start reading labels. Retrain your taste buds to choose vegetables and healthy protein over sugary foods and work really hard to keep your grams low, especially if you are overweight or obese and trying to lose weight. You’ll be surprised by how many grams you are eating each day.

Opt for plain yogurt and add in cinnamon, vanilla and berries. Choose energy bars that focus on the protein not the sugar, chocolate chips, marshmallows or caramel added.

Pick coffee drinks without the fancy additives like whipped cream, syrups, chocolate and flavored creamers. Reach for cut-up vegetables and hummus, plain (unsalted) nuts and seeds, an apple with no sugar added peanut butter (yes, sugar is added to peanut butter) or almond butter as snacks.

Whip up a smoothie with rice protein powder, plain yogurt, no-sugar added almond/rice/coconut milk and berries. Skip out on high-sugar energy drinks or soda. Have eggs or chicken sausage for breakfast instead of pancakes or toast with jelly.

The first few days of going sugar-free can be rough (be careful not to load up on alternatives like agave syrup, honey or fake sugars such as aspartame or splenda) but in the name of your health you can do it!

References:

1. Sugar Should Be Regulated As A Toxin, Researchers Say. Web. 3 February 2012.
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/02/01/sugar-should-be-regulated-as-toxin-researchers-say

actual journal article if a member: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v482/n7383/full/482027a.html

2. Dyslipidemia and Added Sugar Consumption. Web. 3 February, 2012.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/726960

3. Cutting Intake of Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Lowers BP in Observational Study. Web. 3 February, 2012.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/722534

Reviewed February 3, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

Add a Comment4 Comments

Carrie, Thank you for your article on sugar at empower.com. I'm contacting you to share a common thread. As a health practitioner and sugar-free innovator-chef, I've been a fan of Rob Lustig for years. I was so inspired that I wrote a cookbook to address the issue straight on. My book is "Paleo Desserts, 125 Delicious Everyday Favorites, Gluten & Grain-free", just published by Da Capo Press.
What the title does NOT say is that it's also free of sugar and all it's friends - such as fructose, honey, molasses, maple, agave, stevia, artificial sweeteners, etc. It's a good book. Find it on Amazon.
Contact me if you like. [email protected]
Best!
Jane Barthelemy
Portland, Oregon
PaleoDesserts.com
JanesHealthyKitchen.com
QuantumBodyHealing.com

March 3, 2013 - 11:00am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

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November 19, 2012 - 11:51pm

Any of you who have been in my workshops, I heard a bang on about the sugar are responsible for outbreaks of dis-ease we see among our children, and I'm still not done! Dr. Robert Lustig, who is a professor of pediatrics at the University of California's leading expert on childhood disease and a pioneer of research into the metabolism of sugar. His extensive research led him to the conclusion that "sugar acts as a toxic substance that wreaks havoc on your health," especially in the form of the sugar fructose.

Now is the time to use to take notice of it beyond doubt proven fact because the first time in history, lifestyle diseases cause more deaths from infectious diseases and the sugar is attributed to a causative factor.

More sugar present in our diet, especially children. And fructose, the sugar most metabolically damaging of all, is in almost all packaged foods with long-term devastating consequences. You may know fructose word and recognize that the sugar found in fruit. Now we know that fruit is healthy food, because the whole food and contains not only sugar but the fiber and nutrients also (still should not be eaten sparingly). Fructose, which is isolated and added to processed foods and refined sugar is a kind of talking about, such as breakfast cereals, biscuits, drinks, and almost all packaged and refined foods.

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February 10, 2012 - 12:26am
(reply to jessiccarobertt)

Good Info share with us. Chamcha Hai Tu Google User's Ka

November 29, 2013 - 12:26am
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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