There is a lot of concern over obesity and diabetes in western civilizations. It might be a significant reason for increasing health care costs, because of so many people needing treatment for these preventable diseases.
Sugar (Photo credit: oskay)
Dr. Robert Lustig has been spreading his views on sugar, making appearances on 60 Minutes, and being interviewed by Alec Baldwin, in advance of his book “Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity and Disease”.
The interesting points from his discussions:
- We don’t really need sugar for any bodily function, but it releases dopamine in our brains making us feel good. Which is why our brains get addicted to sugar.
- He suggests that sugar should be regulated like alcohol.
- The food industry is making so much money from adding sugar to their products, it will be very difficult to control the industry to reduce or eliminate sugar from foods.
- We are learning the results from eating too much sugar, without fiber, our liver will turn the sugar into fat.
- As we overeat sugar, we increase insulin, and we lose the natural bodily regulation of cravings and hunger.
A lot of people are concerned with the amount of high fructose corn syrup in foods, as they notice the energy levels and other health effects. It looks like we should have a similar concern for regular sugar.
