Summary
Sugar, something that we eat every day is largely responsible for the worldwide explosion of obesity & chronic diseases. Sugar is addictive yet it is added to food products that you would have never imagined!
Key takeaways
How bad is sugar: Nigella met the world’s most vocal critic against sugar – Dr. Robert Lustig to understand that excess sugar consumption causes liver fat, cell aging & interferes with brain cells to regulate how much to eat.
Disease-causing effects of sugar are the same as that of tobacco: It’s time to change the paradigm.
How much added sugar is required by our body: Zero
Sugar is being slipped into our food without us knowing it: Added sugar is present in almost everything a kiwi is consuming from tomato ketchup to mayonnaise, to baked beans, tuna & fruit juices.
Why is sugar added to almost all the foods: To balance the taste & the price of the product.
Excess sugar consumption: An average Kiwi adult consumes about 50kg of sugar in a year ~ 32 teaspoons of sugar a day. The number of patients with diabetes is increasing at a rate of 10% a year in Auckland.
There is a connection between sugar consumption & obesity: An early intervention can prevent complications because of diabetes like infections, limb amputation, effects on eyes, kidneys, and even nerves.
High triglyceride levels in the blood are a sign of excess sugar consumption: This can lead to heart attacks.
Impact of fruit juices & sodas(sugar) on children’s dental health: The number of children aged under 14 years getting one or multiple teeth extracted due to excess sugar consumption is increasing every year.
A report done by Credit Suisse: The Credit Suisse Research Institute released a report entitled "Sugar: Consumption at a Crossroads". This report shows a direct linkage between excess sugar consumption and a worldwide increase in type 2 diabetes, obesity & metabolic syndrome (Metabolic syndrome is high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and body fat which increases the risk of heart diseases, stroke & diabetes).
It’s time to act now: Schools like Yendarra in Auckland, have banned all sugary drinks, and sodas for the children at school. This has a positive effect not only on children’s health but also on their families.
Every country in the world is seeing an uptick not only in obesity but also in diabetes: The answer is to cut down sugar from the diet. You can consume tasty food by reducing sugar also. There are enough examples & research to prove this!
