Eminent teacher, researcher and neuroendocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig says: “Sugar’s not dangerous because of its calories, or because it makes you fat. Sugar is dangerous because it’s sugar. It’s not nutrition. When consumed in excess, it’s a toxin. And it’s addictive.”
These days, many are challenging you to reduce dramatically the sugar you consume. Even The New York Times has a 7-Day Sugar Challenge. It’s becoming common knowledge that sugar is bad for you. Do you know, however, just how bad it is and in what ways? Do you know how almost impossible it is in this culture to avoid sugar?
What is sugar?
Table sugar, refined sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, organic raw sugar and as many as 300 more are names the food industry gives to plain old sugar. Whatever you call it, it’s the same thing, which is a combination of equal parts of two single sugars, glucose and fructose.
Glucose production is a part of your natural food digestion process. When complex carbohydrates (chains of sugars) and starches reach your stomach, they are broken down into the simple glucose molecule. The tissues in your stomach and small intestine absorb the glucose and then turn it loose in your bloodstream. Glucose is a main source of energy for your body, and having it running free in your bloodstream makes it available for use by every cell in your body. And every cell can use glucose.
In contrast, fructose is useless, except as a sweetener. No cell in your body can use fructose, and only your liver can convert it into glucose. When you ingest fructose, it goes directly to your liver.
What’s the problem?
The problem is excess, the liver not being able to keep up with the demand to metabolize fructose into glucose. That is, the tissues of a 170-pound person can readily metabolize a certain amount of glucose. However, the corresponding amount of fructose being sent simultaneously to be metabolized by your 5-pound liver causes the liver to be overwhelmed.
The bad part of what the liver does is give up the normal metabolism and convert the excess fructose to liver fat. The result over time is that the liver creates a multitude of health problems, including fatty liver disease, systemic inflammation, Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Some researchers believe the increasing fattiness of your liver is responsible for many, if not most, of the chronic health conditions that are increasing in our society. These include hypertension, cardiovascular problems, cancer, dementia, insulin resistance and more.
Just in passing: This buildup of fatty liver from sugar is exactly the same thing that happens as a result of excess alcohol and other toxins we take in.
It seems also to increase the aging reaction, caramelization, that leads to wrinkles, cataracts and more. Fructose does this seven times faster than glucose. Even more, research shows that fructose inhibits production of an enzyme chemical that is critical to your powerhouse mitochondria’s ability to function properly.
To sum it up briefly: The sugar problem occurs because of fructose.
Craving sugar?
You don’t just have a “sweet tooth,” you are addicted to sugar. Yes, sugar is addictive in exactly the same way as alcohol, the same way as nicotine, the same way as cocaine, amphetamine, heroin, shopping, gambling, social media and countless more.
And the reason these all are addictive is that they chronically stimulate the reward center in your brain, the nucleus accumbens. This happens because they cause the release of huge amounts of a substance called dopamine, the brain’s pleasure chemical.
The problem grows.
Regarding sugar addiction especially, the problem is growing. In case you haven’t noticed, there are more and more foods in which sugar is the main ingredient (listed first). These are foods like barbecue sauce, children’s cereal, fat-free salad dressing, iced tea, and on and on. And there are even more where, if not first, sugar is near the beginning of the list of ingredients. Did you know that in a can of soda, there are about 10 teaspoons of sugar, or that there is a teaspoon of sugar in every tablespoon of ketchup?
Our processed food industry is largely responsible. There are three main reasons for the determination to keep you addicted to sugar. First, making food high in sugar and low in fiber achieves a certain palatability and increases the food’s shelf life. Second, if you are addicted to a product, you will buy more of it.
Third, the processed food industry makes increasing billions of dollars on it. This is no accident. In just three decades, this industry has grown from a 1% profit margin to over 5%. Alas, our government is in league with these manufacturers because of the increasing export of our foods. The government’s piece amounts to $50 billion or so in export tariffs.
I am sad to say that the sugar problem will probably end only when our food industry ends it for us by ceasing to add sugar to virtually every processed food you buy. It has no reason to stop this, however, as added sugar is its gravy train.
You, of course, have an alternative, which is to change your focus to real food where the fiber is high and the sugar is low. Breaking any addiction is difficult, but people do it. I don’t know if there is a 12-step sugar addiction program, but finding someone who can join with you in reducing sugar intake can be supportive.
Are you doomed?
If you have been a “sugarholic” for a long time, then you almost certainly have a noticeable amount of liver fat. Hopefully, this has not reached the level of what’s called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Now, however, you are determined to get off sugar, but you feel doomed to live with the consequences of the liver fat you’ve accumulated so far.
The good news is that liver fat, even up to the NAFLD level, is a reversible condition. Not surprisingly, it’s all about diet, and here are a few suggestions:
1. First, eliminate from your diet all foods with a high glycemic index. These are such items as white bread, rice cakes, most crackers, bagels, cakes, doughnuts, croissants and most packaged breakfast cereals.
2. Read the labels of foods you buy. Avoid those foods that have sugar, by any of its 300 names, anywhere in the top half of the ingredient list.
3. Eliminate starches. These include grains (even whole grains), rice, flour, pastas and muffins. You should avoid starchy vegetables like corn, which is actually a grain, and potatoes.
4. Add good fats into your diet. Olive oil, avocados, coconut oil and fish oil are examples.
5. Focus on high-sulfur foods like garlic, legumes and onions, as well as cruciferous veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, not to mention artichokes, beets and dandelions.
6. Minimize coffee and alcohol.
7. Supplement with a full range of B vitamins, as they promote the flow of fat from the liver. Add also a magnesium supplement.
The bottom line
It should be obvious by now that I believe that sugar containing fructose, which is virtually all sugars you encounter, is not just not good for you, it’s really bad for you in more ways than you would think possible. Turning ourselves and our culture away from addiction to sugar will not only make you feel better now but will prevent countless serious chronic illnesses as time goes by.
Bob Keller maintains a holistic practice in Newburyport. He offers medical massage therapy for pain relief, as well as psychological counseling, dream work and spiritual direction. Many patients call him Dr. Bob and accuse him of doing miracles, but he is not a medical doctor nor a divinity. His expertise is medical massage therapy, understanding this miracle we call the human being. He can be reached at 978-465-5111 or rk2name@gmail.com.