The content provided in this eBook is for general informational purposes only. This eBook is a companion to the film “Is Sugar the New Fat?” and provides additional content and suggestions for further reading. While we have tried to present up-to-date and correct information, we make no representation about this eBook’s completeness as a resource. It is not intended to be a comprehensive work on the subject of nutrition or about sugar intake, food choices, or related health issues. This eBook is also not intended to be a substitute for the medical and professional advice of licensed physicians, nutritionists, and other health professionals. Readers should consult with a professional before making dietary changes or personal decisions relating to health and nutrition.

At the end of this eBook, we have provided supplemental information and links to organizations, publications, and resources on the subject of nutrition and sugar intake. We have no control over the content, nature, and continued availability of these other sites and resources. The inclusion of these links does not imply our recommendation, endorsement, or agreement with any views expressed at these external sites.

Introduction

What if you heard that sugar, something we eat every day, is largely responsible for the worldwide explosion in obesity and some of the most chronic diseases of our time?

And what if you heard that sugar is addictive, and yet that it is added to far more food products than you ever imagined?

Would you think that was just alarmist nonsense? Read on and make up your own mind about this important issue with insights from New Zealand psychologist, author and documentarian Nigel Latta.

Is Sugar as Bad as Tobacco?

The first time I heard the idea that sugar is toxic was when I saw someone saying exactly that on TV, and at that time, to be honest, I just rolled my eyes. Doesn’t it seem like everything’s toxic and bad for you these days?

Personally, I don’t consume a lot of sugar. Sure, I have some in my coffee, I have the occasional donut, and I figure “it’s okay, because I exercise.” So I wondered, how bad can sugar really be?

To find some answers, I went to meet one of the world’s most vocal critics of sugar: Robert Lustig, M.D., the man I had seen railing against sugar on TV. Professor Lustig is a sought-after speaker across the world for his potent anti-sugar message. He has become a YouTube sensation for his straight talk about the dangers of sugar in our diets, but he also has serious health credentials as professor of pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco, and director of the University’s Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) Program.

Of sugar, he says, “We are being poisoned by this stuff. It’s been added surreptitiously to all of our processed food.”

The question is, Why? How did this happen?

Dr. Lustig says: “There are three things that sugar does that other types of food don’t: it creates liver fat, contributes to cell aging, and interferes with your brain’s functioning to regulate how much to eat. That,” he says, “is what makes it toxic.”

Sugar, toxic? Isn’t that a bit much? After all, water will kill you if you overdo it.

But Dr. Lustig goes even further. He compares sugar with one of the most toxic substances out there: tobacco. It’s not the nicotine that’s toxic, he said; it’s the tars that are toxic. All cigarettes are toxic.

So, I asked him point blank: “Dr. Lustig, are you saying that the standard of evidence for the toxicity of sugar and the disease-causing effects of sugar are the same as for tobacco?” His response? “Absolutely.”

The Hard Stuff

If this is true, why don’t people make the connection between

Скачать книгу