about sugar

Obesity rates in the United States have dramatically improved over the last 20 years. Significant levels of sugar-sweetened beverages have been linked to an elevated risk of childhood obesity in studies. Drinks that have been sweetened with highly soluble and distilled sucrose are known as sweetened beverages. Dextrose, lactose, malt syrup, sucrose, brown saccharin, and honey are also examples of processed sucrose. Sweetened beverages include other drinks with additional sucrose, such as fruit juice, energy drinks, and sweetened water. Saccharine is refined or prepared and added to syrups, which are then combined with food or beverages. Substances such as milk and fruits have naturally occurring saccharin (Gorman). Added sucrose reduces the dietary nutrient density and provides excess energy to the body hence contributing to increased body weight. Consumption of added sucrose by most Americans is above the required level. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 36.5 percent of Americans are considered overweight (Ogden et al. 56). The increased consumption of Sweetened drinks is the major contributor to the soaring incidences of fatness among Americans. Besides, the aggressive marketing of carbonated drinks by the United States beverage companies is to blame for heavy intakes of Sweetened drinks by both adults and children. Advertisements targeting the youths between the age of 2 and 17 have cost the beverage companies approximately half a billion dollars. The advertisements are meant to create an insatiable craving for Sweetened drinks and energy beverages. Being overweight is related to other metabolic disorders such as cardiovascular diseases which include heart attacks, strokes, and particular strains of cancer. According to the 2008 CDC obesity report, the United States (U.S.) incur an estimated medical cost of $147 billion annually to manage plumpness and its related health complications (Ogden et al. 61). Besides, the cost of living for the obese people was higher by $1, 429 than that of people with normal weight. According to the Obesity Society (OS), an organization based in the United States, consumption of added sucrose by adult Americans has increased by over 30 percent during the last three decades. Added saccharin increases the risk of developing plumpness and the associated health complications including gout and diabetes. Studies have linked increased consumption of Sweetened beverages among men and women to the increase in their weight (Perlmutter 36). The major problem is that even after adding more weight due to high consumption of sweetened drinks, the affected individuals did not reduce the intake of those drinks. A CDC study has established that people who regular consumer of soft drinks have approximately 26 percent greater risk of becoming diabetic as compared to people who do not (Ogden et al. 89). Drinking a bottle of soft drink can result into an increased risk of developing a heart attack by 20 percent. Both women and men are affected in a similar way after consuming sweetened beverages. However, the rate of developing gout for women who consume 1 can of sweetened beverage daily is approximately 75 percent as compared to women who rarely take such drinks. Reduced consumption of sweetened drinks and sweetened beverages among obese children and adults can assist in weight control. According to a study conducted by Mollie Turner, the amount of added sucrose consumed by children between 1977 and 2010 increased by 20 % (Gorman).

High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a sweetener obtained from corn starch. It is processed using glucose isomarase so that part of the constituent glucose is converted into fructose. HFCS is sweet and is sold at a cheaper price compared to regular saccharin. The sweetener is highly soluble and is used in all processed foods and soft drinks and smoothies. Taken in large quantities, HFCS becomes a toxin because glucose and fructose get separated in the user’s body. Sucrose is a carbohydrate that naturally occurs in plants and plant parts (Gorman). Sucrose is a non-reducing disaccharide compound and contains fructose and glucose molecules. It is a simple saccharin which is used to sweeten processed food or increase food/drink flavor. In the body, sucrose is digested by an enzyme known as sucrose to give its constituent components glucose and fructose. Glucose is also known as blood saccharin and is transported through the bloodstream to provide energy to body cells. Excess glucose is converted into glycogen and deposited as fat in various parts of the body. Consumption of too much sucrose or another rich source of glucose leads to an increased deposit of glycogen hence increased body weight. Both HFCS and Sucrose contain smaller glucose and fructose saccharin. However, sucrose contains half part fructose and half part glucose while HFCS contains part fructose, part glucose, and small percentage polysaccharides. Both chemical composition of HFCS and Sucrose is virtually similar. However, the chemical structure is slightly different such that in sucrose, the fructose and glucose molecules are bound together while in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) the fructose, glucose, and polysaccharide molecules are not bound together. The major diseases that Dr. Robert Lustig associates with consumption of too much fructose over time include type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular diseases. According to Lustig, most Americans are consuming excess calories in a day. They consume between 200 and 300 excess calories in a day (Perlmutter 28). These excess calories are provided by fructose found in added saccharin used to prepare processed food and drinks meant for the American market. Dr. Lustig does not believe that all sources of food containing fructose are unfit for human consumption since fruits have lower levels of fructose and milk has low levels of sucrose. Also, cancerous cells thrive well in an environment where they use fructose as a source of food. Therefore, excessive intake of fructose can support cancerous growth in the body. Further, the brain functioning is affected by intake of excess fructose which regulates the body’s appetite. Excess fructose in the body can result into memory impairment. Presence of excess fructose in the gut promotes exceeding growth of bacteria including those which are pathogenic. According to Lustig, processed foods and drinks containing added saccharin as they have high levels of Sucrose and High-Fructose Corn Syrup. Most cells in our body use both glucose and fructose to produce energy for the body cells (Bray et al. 539). However, fructose is a heavy form of energy source and hence not commonly used to provide energy for body cells. The liver is the organ responsible for metabolizing fructose in the presence of oxygen to produce cellular energy in form of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) molecule. The two major diseases caused by too much citrate in the liver are type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (Gorman). According to Lustig, eating too much fructose has adverse health effects on the body. Too much citrate produced in the liver from breaking down of fructose is toxic to liver cells and apart from causing insulin resistance, it triggers cardiovascular diseases. Excess citrate can cause inflammation of the liver and increase blood pressure. Also, too much citrate raising the concentration of byproducts such as uric acid in the blood.

B. Alternative Scientific Theories

Many experts do not buy Dr. Lustig’s “Toxic-sugar” theory but have criticized it and instead proposed alternative scientific theories. David Katz asserts that the theory by Dr. Lustig caught the attention of many people due to the extreme position on the subject matter. Other experts claim that Lustig is not a researcher specialized in fructose but a respected physician. Besides, Lustig had published over 90 scientific papers but only two of them were about fructose (Gorman). Besides, Lustig has written six papers on fructose although most of them are editorials, commentaries, and editorials on fructose.

Apart from Lustig study, George Bray and Barry Popkin conducted a research that linked increased consumption of sugar with increasing rates of fatness. According to Bray and Popkin, the harmful way in which the body metabolizes fructose is to blame for the fatness in both adults and children (Bray et al. 537). Different studies have associated the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks with high rates of fatness. John Sievenpiper, a researcher at St. Michael’s Hospital claimed that Lustig’s theory is just a hypothesis and cannot be completely substantiated. Sievenpiper states that the sensational approach and seductive models used by Lustig made his theory famous.

Experts have objected Lustig’s theory claiming that he firmly based his hypothesis on animal models. However, when animals are given high levels of fructose, they do not manifest the symptoms claimed by Lustig. Such animals do not have insulin resistance, their weight does not increase, the blood pressure does not rise, and their blood does not contain high levels of triglycerides (Ma et al. 463). These findings reduce Lustig’s toxic-sugar theory into a mere hypothesis. The Nurses’ Health Study which is renowned for its epidemiological studies discovered that a small quantity of fruit juice taken daily is linked to type 2 diabetes. Moreover, consuming one can of sweetened beverage increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Further, a research conducted Framingham Heart Study showed that drinking one bottle of soda on daily basis is likely to cause metabolic syndrome.

A study conducted by Women’s Health Study showed that the risk of becoming diabetic is same in women regardless of whether they take less or more amounts of sucrose. A 2010 scientific paper review claimed that all epidemiological studies that have been conducted do not provide substantial information to link high fructose/saccharin intake with heart diseases. Fructose is known to cause leptin resistance by affecting the leptin hormone that is responsible for management of body metabolism and appetite. Unregulated body metabolism leads to production of excess fats that are stored in the body causing an increase in weight. Short-term studies which involved people placed in a lab for a certain duration showed that increase in weight does not depend on the amount of fructose taken (Perlmutter 31). The experts conclude that there is no epidemiological study that has provided a clear link between added saccharin and metabolic syndrome.

C. Analysis and Scientific Method

A study conducted by the Framingham Heart Study provided evidence that supported Dr. Lustig’s “Toxic-Sugar” theory. The experimental design of the study was valid and based upon scientific methods. However, the experiment could be improved by incorporating into the study more factors that contribute to increased fatness levels. The researcher from Framingham Health Study suggested that more study is needed to link added sucrose with metabolic syndrome risk. Data for the experiment was obtained through physician-administered questionnaire and self-administered food frequency questionnaire. Questionnaires administered by the physician captures minor health details that could not have been obtained if normal questionnaires were used. After the patient gives an answer to the query in the questionnaire, the physician can enquire more details from the patient while filing in the questionnaire (NIH 2). The researchers conducted the research themselves and this is important as they were able to ascertain the effectiveness of the experiment. The researchers studied human subjects and a sample of 9, 000 participants for the study was substantial to give reliable data. The sample size used was large enough for the control and experimental groups. The study was conducted for 4 years between 1987 and 1991 and for 3 years between 1995 and 1998. A placebo was not used in the study and the experiment was conducted over a considerable period of time. The experiment by Framingham Health Study involved both the control and experimental groups. There was no room for confounding variable to affect the results obtained in the research study. The subject or researcher bias could not have confounded the results as the experiment was spread over many years and at different periods of time. The experiment was a blind study as only the researcher knew about the goals and objectives of the study. The subjects were middle-aged adults and their selection was based on their gender (NIH 3). Equal number of women and men were selected to take part in the experiment. The demographics were broad enough to make a more specific conclusion about the long-term effect of fructose consumption in both men and women.

D: Opinion

I believe that the experiment by Framingham Health Study supports Lustig’s “Toxic-Sugar” Theory. The study by Framingham Health Study was able to link high incidence of metabolic syndrome in adults who consumed soft drinks daily. Soft drinks contain added sucrose which contains fructose. Lustig associates fructose with metabolic syndrome. He also associates fructose with health disorder such as stroke and heart diseases such as cardiac arrest. However, additional studies need to be conducted to provide a concrete and affirmative statement linking fructose with metabolic syndromes. The research would be relevant in modern life if this theory is in fact “proven” to be true as researchers will use findings from the study to do further research. Implications of high intake of fructose will enhance the metabolic syndromes and cardiovascular diseases, and hence increase the budget allocation for treatment of the diseases. Industries are effected when some of the workers suffer from metabolic syndromes and require frequent permission off work to visit a clinic. Working hours are lost and production certainly decreases due to absenteeism of sick workers.

Works Cited

Bray, George A., Samara Joy Nielsen, and Barry M. Popkin. "Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup in beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity." The American journal of clinical nutrition 79.4 (2004): 537-543.

Gorman, R. M. The Truth About Sugar. 5 September/October 2012. Print. 5 October 2017. http://www.eatingwell.com/article/116820/the-truth-about-sugar/.

Ogden, Cynthia L., et al. Prevalence of obesity in the United States, 2009-2010. Hyattsville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, (2012): 1-128.

Ma, Jiantao, et al. "Sugar-sweetened beverage, diet soda, and fatty liver disease in the Framingham Heart Study cohorts." Journal of hepatology 63.2 (2015): 462-469.

NIH. "Framingham Observational Study Notes Greater Incidence Of Metabolic Syndrome Among Adults Consuming Soft Drinks." National Institute Of Health, (2017): 1-4, https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/framingham-observational-study-notes-greater-incidence-metabolic-syndrome-among-adults-consuming-soft-drinks.

Perlmutter, David. Grain brain: the surprising truth about wheat, carbs, and sugar--your brain's silent killers. Hachette UK, (2013): 25-43.