Americans consume on average 22.2 teaspoons of sugar per day( or 355 kcal.) We consume about 60 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup per person, per year. And carbonated soft drinks(non-diet) comprise the single largest source of American calories, at 7% of our total!
Food science writer Guy Taubes has popularized a theory of "Good Calories, Bad Calories", basically stating that excess sugar consumption leads to insulin resistance ( ultimately, diabetes) and obesity.
Now, Type II diabetes is largely preventable ( 80% is preventable.) Type II diabetics are at higher risk of heart attack, kidney damage, blindness and, nerve and circulation problems. And diabetes drugs cost Americans $17 billion annually. 26 million Americans have diabetes, and 79 million are pre-diabetic. That's scary. ( Graphic diabetic foot ulcer picture below.)
And we're all familiar with the toll obesity is taking on our society. Even one-third of our kids are overweight or obese.
But is sugar the culprit?
Guy Taubes and his adherents think so. I'll admit I jumped on the "no-sugar" bandwagon in 2004 when I bought and read "The New Sugar Busters(R)" book. I follow most of the recommendations to this day, with occasional "cheat days" where I consume some of the forbidden foods, such as white potatoes or corn-on-the-cob.
I made the changes in my diet to ensure I was eating the most nutrient-rich foods possible, not to "lose weight" or because I completely bought into the "sugar is evil " story line. But I am intrigued.
Guy Taube's "food pyramid" consists of protein as its' base, followed by eggs and cheese, then nuts and fibrous vegetables, fats and oils, and fibrous fruits at the tip. Noticeably absent are rice, cereal, brad, rice and pasta.
Here's the bare-bones rationale : You accumulate fat in your body based on insulin levels, which go up and down depending on how many and what type of carbohydrates you consume. Higher amounts of carbs, especially refined and/or sweetened carbs cause more insulin to be secreted, which leads to more fat accumulation.
Eventually, people become insulin-resistant( a precursor of diabetes.) Insulin levels remain abnormally high and fat is stored, leading to obesity.
Sounds legitimate, right? Not so fast, my friend. What about the Twinkie diet?
For 10 weeks a nutrition professor who was overweight lost 27 pounds in 10 weeks by eating predominantly snack foods, primarily Twinkies. The catch is that he reduced his daily caloric intake from 2600 kcal/day to 1800 kcal/day. And the fact that he was eating highly sugar-laden food didn't make a difference. Which seems to refute the "sugar is evil" claim.
The jury is still out, but I wouldn't recommend a Twinkie diet. Moon Pies, maybe. I'll keep you posted.
The Archies: "Sugar, ah honey, honey
You are my candy girl
And you've got me wanting you..."
No comments:
Post a Comment