Sugar Contributes to 35 million Deaths A Year


We all know that sugar is not good for health – but this is a stark wake up call illustrating just how dangerous it may be. Something to think about as you add that teaspoon of sugar to your tea today!

These findings come from Dr. Robert H. Lustig, a professor of clinical paediatrics at the University of California, who led the latest research on the dangers of eating too much sugar. He believes “we are now seeing the toxic downside of eating excessive amounts of sugar. There has to be some sort of societal intervention. We cannot do it on our own because sugar is addictive”. This concurs with earlier research conducted on mice that demonstrated strong withdrawal symptoms when sugar was suddenly removed from their diets.

He believes excess sugar in the diet does not just add calories, but is also strongly linked to numerous chronic and potentially fatal health problems, which occur even in people who are a normal weight. Theses include:

  • High blood pressure (fructose raises uric acid, which raises blood pressure)
  • Diabetes
  • Increase in blood fats (triglycerides)
  • Obesity
  • Liver problems

So isn’t it time we all just went cold turkey? Seemingly it is not that easy as sugar is big business. Its consumption has tripled in the past 50 years and it’s probably no coincidence that obesity rates have shot up over this same period too. There’s no escaping it, sugar is literally everywhere and trying to find food that contains little or no sugar on a supermarket shelf is not only challenging, but when you do find it, it can be costly. So, sugar regulation is not only about self control but also about the food industry forgetting the bottom line and helping us buy into a healthy lifestyle by increasing the availability of cost effective sugar free options.

Currently, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for sugar is 120 grams for men and 90 grams for women. So how much exactly is a gram of sugar? One teaspoon of granulated sugar equals 4 grams of sugar. This allowance is very easy to exceed, even for those who believe they’re making so-called healthy choices. For example, a loaf of bread contains 3.5 grams of sugar, Special K red berry breakfast cereal 23 grams and a low fat pot of fruit yogurt can have up to 16 grams of sugar!

A good first step for anyone trying to reduce their sugar intake is to cut back on the following:

  • Sugary drinks, energy drinks. Be careful with sugar free drinks as they contain artificial sweeteners which may not be good for health.
  • Cakes, biscuits, chocolate and sweets from the diet
  • Be careful with low fat produce as there is usually high levels of sugar added
  • Fruit juice concentrate
  • Ice cream
  • Cereal bars
  • Sauces

However most of us love some sweetness in our lives so here’s how you sugar this pill (excuse the pun)?

  • Freshly squeezed juices – go half and half with some still or sparkling water to reduce sugar levels further
  • Fresh fruit (have a square of dark chocolate with it if fruit just isn’t going to cut it!)
  • Low sugar/sugar free health bars such as Nakd, Plamil sugar free chocolate range, high cocoa chocolate
  • Homemade treats such as flap jacks, brownies. Most recipes are very easy to follow and quick to make even if you are not a baking guru. Most homemade cakes and sweet treats can be frozen so you will not be stuck in the kitchen baking on a daily basis – or tempted to get through an enite tray of brownies in one go!
  • Zylitol or Stevia are great alternatives to sugar and can be used in baking or anywhere sugar is used.
  • Make sauces from scratch for example pasta sauce can be made with onion, garlic, herbs, tinned tomatoes and tomato puree.
  • Keep your blood sugars stable by eating little and often and choosing low to medium GL foods and you will find that your cravings for sugar will reduce naturally.
  • Invest in a good cookbook such as the GL Cookbook by Patrick Holford

Sugar Contributes to 35 million Deaths A Year. By Caroline Noonan