Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds
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DW Life > d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m W i n t e r 2 0 1 6 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N 51 their diets. It's a trend that has been picking up steam: in 2014, Gallup found that nearly two-thirds of Ameri- cans were avoiding soda in their diets and more than half were avoiding sugar. Lustig is quick to note that consumers must al- ways consider sugar in context, however. "Sugar is spiked in 74 percent of items in the American gro- cery store, but sugar isn't the only prob- lem," he explains. "I think processed food is the problem, and sugar is the marker for processed food." He then lists ten things that are wrong with processed food s—three things they have too little of and seven things they have too much of. "Tey have too little f- ber, omega-3 fatty acids, and micronutri- ents," he says. "And they have too much sugar, trans fat, branched chain amino acids, omega-6 fatty acids, food addi- tives, emulsifers, and salt. For every one of those, we have correlation with the diseases that we are now experiencing, but we can't show that they're a cause. But there is one substance where we have causation—and that's sugar." In October, Lustig and his research team published a breakthrough study in the journal Obesity showing the impact when a group of overweight African American and Hispanic children reduced their pro- cessed sugar intake to 10 percent of calo- ries. In just nine days, they lowered their blood sugar, blood pressure, and choles- terol, and also reduced the fat in their liver. Lustig goes on to point out that sugar is harmful because it can cause specifc alterations within the body. "When a car- bohydrate—the glucose or fructose mol- ecule—binds to the proteins, it makes them stifen, so they don't do their job," he says. "Also, it promotes oxidative stress, which can cause damage to protein or lipids and causes cellular aging. Sugar is not dangerous because of its calories or because it causes obesity. Sugar is dan- gerous because it's sugar, because of the biochemis- try of the compound." Quantity and kind Te truth is that our cells need sugar for energy. Te problem? While our an- cient ancestors consumed sugar in the form of an occasional piece of fruit, our modern diet is packed with added sugar. And the body processes natural sugars like fruit sugar (fructose) and milk sugar (lactose) diferently than it does processed sugar. "Fruit has way more fber than pro- cessed foods do," Lustig says. "Fiber slows the speed at which sugar is released from the gut into the bloodstream." Re- fned sugar, on the other hand, makes a fast journey into the blood, causing insulin and blood sugar levels to surge. And while eating a fber-rich orange will make you feel full, eating processed sug- ar equal to the amount of natural sugar found in an orange won't, which can lead to overeating. Many cereals, snacks, desserts, and sweetened beverages are loaded with added sugar, so people may get more than they can properly me- tabolize. Americans today consume 39 percent more sugar than they did in the 1950s—an additional 43 pounds per year. "Te science has become painfully clear, and the food industry is obfuscat- ing the facts," says Lustig. Tere's no doubt that many of us are eating unhealthful amounts of sugar. Still, experts say that reducing sugar alone isn't the answer. Te best course of action is to move away from processed foods and toward whole foods like veg- etables and fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, nuts and legumes, and skinless poultry and fsh. Eating closer to the way your ancestors ate will naturally reduce your intake of refned sugar—and many other unhealthful ingredients— and take you on the path to a healthier future. DW THINKSTOCKPHOTOS Having a tough time conquering your sweet tooth? It doesn't mean you have weak willpower. Researchers have found that foods that spike blood sugar are biologically addictive. But new federal Dietary Guidelines for Ameri- cans recommend that less than 10% of our daily calories come from sugar. To get your sugar consumption under control, follow these tips. Ditch the sweet drinks Much of the sugar we consume is in drinks, so a quick way to reduce your intake is to cut out sugary drinks like sodas, juices, and sugary coffee bever- ages. If you need to use diet soda to slowly wean yourself off soda, do so, but make it your goal to quit completely over the course of two months. Beware of hidden sugars Sugar turns up in unexpected places. You'll fnd it in bread, hot dogs, soup, crackers, spaghetti sauce, lunch meat, favored yogurt, salad dressing, mayonnaise, and other foods. Unfor- tunately, nutrition labels don't provide clear information about added sugars, because the line for "sugar" contains both natural and added sugars. Scan ingredient labels for added sugars, which may be listed as corn sweetener, corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, malt sugar, molasses, or sugar molecules ending in "ose" (such as dextrose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose). The Food and Drug Admin- istration is now considering whether to make nutrition labels clearly indicate the amount of added sugars. Get cooking The best route to eat healthfully—and control your sugar intake—is to make your own meals. For healthy recipes, pick up The Blood Sugar Solution Cookbook by Mark Hyman, MD, direc- tor of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine; The Fat Chance Cookbook by Robert Lustig, MD; or Sugar Free by Sonoma Press. Cutting Back Sugar is not dangerous because of its calories. Sugar is dangerous because it's sugar, because of the biochemistry of the compound.