(19-05-11) Experts agree - Sugar is a health destroyer

by Anthony Gucciardi


(NaturalNews) With many sugar-related stories recently leaking into the
mainstream media, the negative effects of sugar have been a subject of intense
debate. Adding proverbial fuel to the biological fire, a video lecture by a
prominent California doctor entitled "Sugar: The Bitter Truth," has been
generating over 50,000 views per month. As the sugar debate garners even more
media attention, prominent health experts are voicing their opposition to
excess sugar consumption. It seems that the information regarding sugar that
was at one time considered exclusive to the alternative health community may
soon become common knowledge.

Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at
the University of California, San Francisco, is one of the leading experts on
sugar and how it is broken down by the body. In addition to being the lecturer
responsible for the viral video "Sugar: The Bitter Truth," Dr. Lustig is also a
leading expert on childhood obesity. In his lecture, Dr. Lustig asserts that
sugar is a toxic substance that wreaks havoc on the body. Since fructose is the
number one source of calories in the U.S., this assertion should not be taken
lightly. In fact, the average U.S. citizen consumes around 150 grams of sugar
each day; whereas, some experts believe that an acceptable amount of daily
sugar may be as low as 25 grams per day.

The impact of sugar on the body does not stop at obesity. Fructose has been
found to raise uric acid levels, leading to decreased nitric oxide levels,
elevated angiotensin levels, and smooth muscle cell contractions that lead to
higher blood pressure and potential kidney damage. Higher uric acid levels have
also been linked to low-level inflammation, which can lead to a large number of
diseases. As a testament to the deteriorating health of the U.S. since the
introduction of sugar into the primary diet of most citizens, uric acid levels
among Americans have risen dramatically since the early half of the 20th
century. In 1920, average uric acid levels were around 3.5 ml/dl. In sharp
contrast, average uric acid levels in 1980 shot up to around 6.0 to 6.5 ml/dl.
Uric acid levels above 5.5 mg per dl indicate an increased risk of developing
hypertension, kidney disease, insulin resistance, fatty liver, obesity,
diabetes, and a host of other conditions.

Another scary relationship is the connection between sugar and cancer. Insulin
resistance, a response to prolonged and excessive sugar intake, has been
fingered as a primary factor in many cancers. Lewis Cantley is the director of
the Cancer Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical
School. According to Cantley, as much as 80 percent of all cancers are "driven
by either mutations or environmental factors that work to enhance or mimic the
effect of insulin on the incipient tumor cells." This link between chronic
sugar consumption and 80 percent of cancers is one that challenges the
mainstream ideology of how nutrition affects the body. In addition, it is a
link that must not be taken lightly.

Sugar is currently a staple of most American diets. With the primary source of
calories in the U.S. coming from fructose, it may be time to rethink the way
that sugar is consumed around the world. With numerous studies coming out tying
sugar to a multitude of diseases, even mainstream health outlets are starting
to question sugar's impact on our bodies. Perhaps it is time to put down the
processed junk, and revolutionize the nation's health.

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/m...
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/hea...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/release...
http://www.oecd.org/document/31/0,3...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/release...

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In evidenza

"L'informazione presente nel sito serve a migliorare, e non a sostituire, il rapporto medico-paziente."

Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.