Tag: Is Sugar Toxic

Is Sugar Toxic? “60 Minutes” Explores Issue: Hurrah!

Tonight, on “60 Minutes,” multiple Emmy-award winning chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will tell the show’s viewers about new studies, which suggest that sugar is toxic.
Specifically, on “60 Minutes,” Dr. Gupta will tell viewers:
“New research coming out of some of America’s most respected institutions is starting to find that sugar could be a driving force behind some of this country’s leading killers.”
Of course, this sugar-is-toxic conclusion — which has been gaining momentum for years — is nothing new to those of you, who are regular visitors to this Sugar Shock Blog and to readers of my first book, Sugar Shock, which was first published in 2007.
Sanjay_GuptaFor my part, I’m thrilled that “60 Minutes” is devoting time to explore the question of whether or not sugar is toxic. I’ve been hoping for such a segment for years.
What I find especially exciting is that Dr. Gupta will spotlight the close cancer-sugar connection, which I also explored in my book, Sugar Shock.
I also examine recent sugar-can-cause-cancer research in my upcoming book, Beyond Sugar Shock, which is being published in June by Hay House. (In the book, I guide readers to eaily break free of their sugar addiction by joining me in a fun, six-week Mind-Body-Spirit adventure.)
Anyhow, in the “60 Minutes” segment about sugar, you’ll watch Dr. Gupta interview respected pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Robert H. Lustig, whose YouTube video, Sugar: The Bitter Truth, has gone viral, attracting 2,159,456 viewers (as of today).
Dr. Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, is not alone in his sugar-is-toxic view.
Amazon Sug Sh 51RDZ7DBVAL._SL110_Indeed, many cutting-edge physicians, including Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra, medical consultant for my book Sugar Shock, contend that the high amount of sugar in the American diet is killing us. (By the way, I disagree with the low figures usually cited — most Americans consume far more than the 130 or 150 pounds a year that’s often mentioned in news reports.)
While I applaud “60 Minutes” for telling the nation that sugar can be toxic, I also need to congratulate Dr. Mehmet Oz for his important work drawing attention to sugar’s dangers in several episodes of the top-rated “The Doctor Oz Show.”
In one episode, Dr. Mehmet Oz even called sugar “The # 1 food Dr. Oz Wants Out of Your House.” Hurrah!
By the way, I’m honored that Dr. Oz praised my book, Sugar Shock.
Again, congratulations to “60 Minutes” for devoting a segment to this important sugar subject.
Join us on my Facebook fan page during and after “60 Minutes” airs to share your thoughts and feelings about the is-sugar-toxic segment.
[“data”:”http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/cbsnews_player_embed.swf”,”flashvars”:”si=254&&content_mce_value=50122411&shareUrl=http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7403782n”,”src”:”http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/cbsnews_player_embed.swf”,”allowfullscreen”:”true”]
Make sure to tell your friends and family members to watch this important “60 Minutes” episode.

Is Sugar as Toxic as Alcohol? Researchers Say Yes

In recent years, scientists have theorized that sugar can be as addictive as alcohol or tobacco.
You, of course, know how easy it is to get hooked on sweets — and how incredibly challenging and difficult it can be to break free of your sugar addiction.
(In fact, because breaking free from sugar is so tough, I’ve devoted an entire book to take you on a fun, empowering journey so you can easily let go of your addiction. Beyond Sugar Shock — which will be published in June and which you can pre-order now — is designed to hold you by the hand and guide you to what I call Sugar Freedom.)
So since sugar is addictive, should this commonplace but potentially harmful (even deadly) substance be regulated?
Acclaimed researcher Robert Lustig, M.D. and a team of UCSF researchers say yes.
They argue that sugar should be controlled like alcohol and tobacco to protect public health.
Indeed, Dr. Lustig, along with Laura Schmidt, Ph.D., Claire Brindis, D.P.H. and colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), contend that sugar’s potential for abuse, coupled with its toxicity and pervasiveness in the Western diet, make it a primary culprit of this worldwide health crisis.
They maintain that sugar is fueling a global obesity pandemic, contributing to 35 million deaths annually worldwide from non-communicable diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
The authors then advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to children under 17.
According to their statistics, reported on CBS New’s HealthPop, worldwide sugar intake has tripled in the last 50 years, and the average person is taking in a whopping 500 calories from added sugar in processed foods alone.
So what do you think? Should sugar be regulated?
A special thank you: Photo credit is due here (flickr) and here (DailyBurn).
Post your ideas here on this Sugar Shock Blog and/or on my Facebook Smart Habits Fans page.

Calling Sugar-Free Bloggers: Join Our Growing Community

Calling all Sugar-Free Bloggers!
I want to tell the world about your blog so we can spread the word together about the health benefits and Sweetness of Being Sugar-Free.
If you have a sugar-free blog, just share your URL here and provide a one-or-two-sentence description of your sugar-free and/or weight loss journey and goal for your blog.
If your blog is listed below, please give some information, too.
If you haven’t created a Sugar-Free Blog yet, I invite you to start one to publicly chronicle your sugar-shunning journey. Blogging can help you stay on the healthy path and create a life you love. Plus, you can help yourself and others at the same time.
So join the growing community of Sugar-Free Bloggers.
Here are a few Sugar-Free Bloggers I’ve found so far.
* Dana Kennedy: A Year Without Candy – www.yearwithoutcandy.com – Read my previous post about Dana’s exciting blog.
* David Vanadia: www.vanadia.com/stopbeingsweet
* Amy F.: http://myyearwithout.blogspot.com
* Maureen Flores: My Sugar Free Sweet Life – www.maureenflores.com
* Angie: http://gluten-dairy-sugarfree.com
* Amy Green: http://www.simplysugarandglutenfree.com
* Alex: http://spoonfulofsugarfree.com/about/
If you’re a blogger, who writes about being being sugar-free from time to time, you’re invited to join us, too. Here are some bloggers like this:
* Australian media personality and journalist Sarah Wilson: http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/category/i-quit-sugar/
* Susan Mernit: http://www.susanmernit.com/blog/2008/07/why-i-quit-sugar-and-how-this.html
* Amy Beth O’Brien: http://www.amybethobrien.com/home/i-quit-sugar/
If I’ve forgotten your blog, don’t fret. Just post a comment, I’ll add it to this master list.
I look forward to joining together to spread the word about the joy of sugar-free living.
By the way, have you seen the amazing story from Gary Taubes, Is Sugar Toxic?
Guidelines to be Included: Please note that blogs to be listed here advocate using healthy products only. We will not feature blogs that promote the use of artificial sweeteners, agave, honey, sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
Sugar-Free Bloggers, hope to hear from you soon!