After listening to The Bitter Truth About Sugar with Dr Robert Lustig interview by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, in combination with a number of other resources, I’ve decided to write a brief summary of what seems to now be known about the damaging impact of sugar on our physical and mental health. Interview is also on YouTube. Dr Chatterjee is well-respected UK GP and physical and mental health advocate, and I recommend to also check out his other podcasts and his books on www.drchatterjee.com.
Below are the summary points from this interview on sugar:
- Sugars impact on the body is compared to a slow impacting cyanide – not as instant, but over the long term equally as damaging.
- The most damaging type of sugar is fructose, which is in much more than just fruit including from sugar cane (50% fructose, 50% glucose).
- Sugar (fructose) has same impact on the liver as alcohol (alcohol being made from sugars in the first place, and the body sees as no different).
- Linked with many chronic illnesses from childhood to old age: obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, ADHD, autism, Alzheimer’s, depression and anxiety.
- Sugar is addictive – it lights up the same pathways in the brain as heroine. It also started to be imported at the same time as tobacco, tea (caffeine) and opium.
- Fat vs sugar debate in 1970s – now evidence that scientists were bribed by food industry lobbyists.
- Sugar is also linked with monocropping and soil erosion, and therefore significant impact on the environment and major contributor to the current disruptions to the climate – see Why We Need To Fix Our Food System with Mark Hyman by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
- Highly processed or “refined” grains, such as white flour, have the healthy fibre removed, which gives it a high Glycemic Load (GL) and therefore easily turns to sugar in the body, spiking blood sugar levels that can be damaging to the liver.
- As well as cakes, cookies, ice cream etc, Sugar is found in many hidden sources
- Sneaky foods filled with sugar: breakfast cereals and granola, fruit yoghurts, fruit juice, granola, cereal or protein bars, tinned fruits, tinned bakes beans, condiments like ketchup, beverages like flavoured milks and sports/energy drinks, premade smoothies, spaghetti and many other sauces, foods advertised as “low-fat”, packaged microwave dinners, salad dressings
- Hidden names in ingredients list: High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), corn syrup, rice syrup, maple syrup, fructose, glucose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, dextrose, maltodextrin, galactose, diastase, diastatic malt, barley malt, rapadura, panela, invert sugar fruit nectars, concentrates of juices, honey, agave and molasses
- Also see Jamie Oliver’s Ambush on Childhood Obesity and Learning to Cook interview with Dr Chatter
Key main points on keeping healthy:
- Protect the liver – reduce exposure to sugar and highly processed grains, such as white flour, use/buy wholegrain alternatives.
- Feed the gut – dietary fibre is the best source – which is in wholes foods, particularly vegetables. Fruit too is often high in fibre to fructose although will vary between fruits and as a general rule should be limited to ~2 portions a day.
Get into the habit of reading the ingredients list and knowing whats in there, example Coco pops, this is with their “30%” less sugar (used to be 35g/100g, 35% sugar). Shreddies are 10g/100g (10% sugar).
