A 90 minute lecture Sugar: The Bitter Truth has gained the attention of over 2 million viewers in the last few years. The speaker is Robert Lustig, a medical doctor and a UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology. The presentation reveals compelling truths about the correlation of the use of processed foods and the rising epidemic of obesity.

Processed foods are made by removing fiber and adding  sugar. The removal of fiber is damaging to the body because it catalyzes the time it takes for food to become a usable form of glucose for the body. Insulin stimulates the liver and muscle cells to store glucose. Processed foods tax beta cells to produce insulin faster. This, in turn, leads to beta cell exhaustion and thus the likelihood of  diabetes.

Not only does Dr.  Lustig validate why sugar is toxic but he strongly believes that it should be regulated like any other addictive drug. He’s got a point.  Dr. Sanjay Gupta interviewed Dr. Lustig on “60  Minutes“, along with other medical researchers. They all  emphasize how dangerous sugar is in the body. Among some of the maladies are: feeding tumor growth, increased dangerous blood lipids, and influence of addiction to the substance (dependency).

In the face of all this information – what does the sugar industry say? “Science is not completely clear here.” Really? Sounds similar to the tobacco industry when confronted with the adverse effects tobacco has on health. Buckle-up, ladies and gentleman. Sugar could be the 21st century tobacco.

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