The toxic truth about sugar.

By Dr. Mercola

Evidence is mounting that sugar is the primary factor causing not just obesity, but also many chronic and lethal diseases.

Dr. Robert Lustig, one of the leading experts on childhood obesity, and arguably the number one enemy of the sugar lobby, has published a well written article in the prestigious scientific journalNature arguing that sugar is a poison.ⁱ

He believes that the negative health effects of sugar consumption can no longer be ignored, any more than the health effects of tobacco and alcohol could.

According to Dr. Lustig, via the website Diet Doctorⁱⁱ:

"The problem with sugar isn't just weight gain ... A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases.

A little is not a problem, but a lot kills -- slowly."

For the first time in history, "lifestyle" diseases -- diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers -- are killing more people than communicable diseases. And treating these entirely preventableillnesses costs more than one-seventh of the U.S. GDP. It stands to reason then that simplypreventing these diseases could save the US health care system around one trillion dollars a year.

One of the primary, and likely most effective ways of preventing these diseases would be to curb the outrageous over-consumption of sugar.

Dr. Lustig rightfully argues that sugar used to be available to our ancestors only as fruit or honey—and then only for a few months of the year—compared to today, when sugar (primarily in the form of high fructose corn syrup) is added to virtually all processed foods and drinks; even items you normally would not think of as being high in sugar. Tragically, many infant formulas even contain more than 50 percent sugar! "Nature made sugar hard to get; man made it easy," Dr. Lustig says.

Fructose is NOT the Same as Glucose

Glucose is the form of energy you were designed to run on. Every cell in your body, every bacterium -- and in fact, every living thing on the Earth -- uses glucose for energy.

Fructose is not the same molecule. Glucose is a 6-member ring, but fructose is a 5-member ring. Sucrose (table sugar) is 50 percent glucose and 50 percent fructose, and HFCS is 42-55 percent fructose.

If you received your fructose only from vegetables and fruits (where it originates) as most people did a century ago, you'd consume about 15 grams per day., Today the average is 73 grams per day which is nearly 500 percent higher a dose and our bodies simply can't tolerate that type of biochemical abuse. Furthermore, in vegetables and fruits, the fructose is mixed in with fiber, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and beneficial phytonutrients, all of which help moderate the negative metabolic effects. So it's not that fructose itself is "poisonous"—it's the biologically inappropriate doses you're exposed to that make it hazardous to your health and well-being.

How High Fructose Corn Syrup has Decimated Human Health

We now know, without a doubt, that it's the excessive sugar content in the modern diet that is taking such a devastating toll on people's health. According to GreenMedInfo.com, scientific studies have linked fructose to about 78 different diseases and health problemsⁱⁱⁱ. Select the hyperlinks provided to review how fructose may:

Raise your blood pressure, and cause nocturnal hypertension	Insulin resistance / Type 2 Diabetes	Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Raise your uric acid levels, which can result in gout and/ormetabolic syndrome	Accelerate the progression of chronic kidney disease	Intracranial atherosclerosis(narrowing and hardening of the arteries in your skull)
Exacerbate cardiac abnormalities if you're deficient in copper	Have a genotoxic effect on the colon	Promote metastasis in breast cancer patients
Cause tubulointerstitial injury(injury to the tubules and interstitial tissue of your kidney)	Promotes obesity and related health problems and diseases	Promotes pancreatic cancer growth

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was invented in Japan in 1966 and introduced to the American market in 1975. Food and beverage manufacturers quickly began switching their sweeteners from sucrose (table sugar) to corn syrup when they discovered that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) could save them a lot of money. Sucrose costs about three times as much as HFCS. HFCS is also about 20 percent sweeter than table sugar, so you need less to achieve the same amount of sweetness.

In the mid 1970s, dietary fats were blamed for heart disease, giving rise to the "low-fat craze," which resulted in an explosion of processed nonfat and low fat convenience foods—most of which tasted like sawdust unless sugar was added. Fructose was then added to make all these fat-free products more palatable. Yet as the low-fat craze spread, rates of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity skyrocketed...

Clearly, there was a major flaw in the plan, and it's not difficult to see that trading fat for sugar is not a wise move.

The problem is that excessive fructose consumption leads to insulin resistance, and insulin resistance appears to be the root of many if not most of the diseases listed above. Insulin resistance has even been found to be an underlying factor of cancer.

How Fructose Increases Insulin Secretion and Worsens Your Insulin Sensitivity

Interestingly, recent research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that fructose can activate taste cells found on your pancreas, a reaction that can increase your body's secretion of insulin^iv. And, while this is of particular concern for people prone to diabetes, if statistics are any indication, this could include virtually everyone.

At present, one in four Americans already have either pre-diabetes or some form of diabetes, and type 2 diabetes is directly linked to your diet, so anyone on a high-fructose diet can be at risk.

In this study, the researchers were able to demonstrate that fructose activates the same proteins in your pancreatic cells that your tongue uses to taste sweets. And when these cells are exposed to both glucose and fructose, they secrete more insulin than they do when exposed to glucose alone. According to Science News^v:

"Most sugars join the [metabolic assembly line] at a point where a supervisory enzyme can control the flow of goods. But fructose comes in farther down, where it can lead to an overproduction of fat. And because fructose ... doesn't stimulate the same insulin response that glucose does, the hormone isn't doing the other regulatory things it usually does, like moderating appetite."

Limiting Sugar is Also Vital for Longevity

By increasing your insulin and leptin levels (and subsequently decreasing receptor sensitivity for both of these vital hormones), excessive sugar/fructose consumption not only increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, it also accelerates aging in general. In fact, limiting sugar in your diet is a well-known key to longevity, because of all the molecules capable of inflicting damage in your body, sugar molecules are probably the most damaging.

Two years ago, the journal Nutrients published an excellent report on the impact of fructose on aging.^vi Fructose is a particularly potent pro-inflammatory agent that creates advanced glycation end products, commonly known as "AGEs."

AGEs are a complex group of damaging compounds that form when sugar reacts with amino acids. Besides oxidation, glycation and the subsequent formation of AGEs is one of the major molecular mechanisms causing ongoing damage in your body, which leads to disease, (premature) aging and, eventually, death. According to the authors:

"[T]he data are supportive that endogenous AGEs are associated with declining organ functioning. It appears that dietary AGEs may also be related... As of today, restriction of dietary intake of AGEs and exercise has been shown to safely reduce circulating AGEs, with further reduction in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers."

In short, if you want to live a long healthy life, you need to restrict your consumption of sugar, particularly fructose. As a standard recommendation to limit glycation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day.

Most people would be wise to limit their fructose to 15 grams or less however, especially if you have elevated uric acid levels, which can be used as a predictor for fructose toxicity. This includes keeping track of your fructose intake from whole fruits. To evaluate the fructose content of many common fruits, please see this helpful fructose chart. I recommend this lower level of 15 grams a day simply because if you consume processed foods or sweet beverages at all, you're virtually guaranteed to consume "hidden" sources of fructose that can have a major impact on your health.

When I have mentioned this in the past many people have strongly disagreed with me as they believe fruit is fine because it is natural. And it may be ok for some people, especially those doing long and intense exercise sessions. However, there is an easy way for you to find out your risk. If your uric acid is above 5.0 would be wise to follow the rule. The higher above 5.0 your uric acid is, the worse your risk for damage. If your uric acid is between 3.5 and 5 you should be fine. I believe I must have a genetic polymorphism for uric acid as mine is always above 5.5 even with intense exercise and less than five grams of fructose a day, so I nearly always avoid fruit.

The authors of that paper offer an in-depth review of the many health hazards of fructose, due to its pro-inflammatory actions:

"Accumulation of AGEs has been found in healthy aging persons, and this accumulation is higher during high glucose concentrations. Microvascular and macrovascular damage, seen in diabetes, is attributed to the accumulation of AGEs in tissues, but it is also associated with atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, end stage renal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcopenia, cataracts, and other degenerative ophthalmic diseases, Parkinson's disease, vascular dementia and several other chronic diseases. For instance, Bar et al. have demonstrated differential increases of AGEs products in Alzheimer's dementia and vascular dementia compared to controls. It has also been suggested that AGEs are involved in the loss of bone density and muscular mass associated with aging."

How to Tame Your Sugar Cravings

If you're struggling with sugar addiction, I recommend trying an energy psychology technique called Turbo Tapping, which has helped many "soda addicts" kick their sweet habit. If you still want to use a sweetener occasionally, here's what I recommend in lieu of sugar:

1. Use the sweet herb stevia.
2. Use organic cane sugar in moderation.
3. Use organic raw honey in moderation.

Avoid ALL artificial sweeteners, which can damage your health even more quickly than fructose. Agave syrup has been touted as a healthy alternative by many, but don't fall for it. It's a highly processed sap that is almost all fructose, and should therefore be avoided.

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Apple, peanut butter, granola sandwich for your sweet tooth.

BTW, I get a lot of ideas from Pinterest.  If you haven't discovered this tool yet, let me know & I'll send you an invite.

YES , YOU CAN!

6 rules to slim down.

This is Dr. Mercola's 6 rules to slim down.  We all know most of them , but I enjoy reviewing these often as I tend to fall short on a few from time to time.:)

Rule #1: Severely Limit Fructose in Your Diet

It is important to understand that your diet is THREE times more important for controlling your weight than your exercise. It's very easy to sabotage any benefit you'd receive from exercise by consuming fructose-laden foods and beverages, including sports drinks, sodas, and fruit juices. If you consume any processed foods or sweetened beverages at all, reading the labels is a necessity. You may be shocked to realize just how much sugar is in the products you consume on a regular basis.

Why is limiting fructose so important for weight management and optimal health?

The reasons are numerous, but if I could make you memorize just one thing that can truly help you improve your health, it would be that eating fat does not make you fat; eating excessive fructose does! If you were to view soda with the same disdain most people give to a chunk of lard, you'd be on the right track... Ironically though, the lard would actually be more healthful for you than the soda!

Fructose simultaneously prevents weight loss and promotes fat storage, by:

• Diminishing your satiety (feelings of fullness) as it does not stimulate a rise in leptin, one of the most powerful hunger and fat storage regulators in your body. And, of course, when you're feeling hungry you tend to eat more.
  Leptin resistance, just like insulin resistance, is also one of the most significant factors underlying a vast array of diseases. For example, it plays a significant if not primary role in the development of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, reproductive disorders, and perhaps the rate of aging itself.
• Not suppressing ghrelin (also known as "the hunger hormone"). Glucose, on the other hand, does suppress ghrelin, making you feel satiated
• Slowly, if consumed chronically, causing insulin resistance, which hampers weight loss efforts
• Converting directly to fat more readily than any other sugar. It is also known to raise triglycerides significantly
• Robbing your body of micronutrients while assimilating itself for use (in the case of foods containing high fructose corn syrup. Whole fruits on the other hand does not have this particular problem as the fruit contains all these extra nutrients along with the fructose)

With all these simultaneous factors coming into play every time you consume fructose, it's easy to see why a high-fructose diet can propel you into a vicious cycle of over-eating while also being malnourished.

My recommendation is to keep your total fructose intake below 25 grams of fructose per day, if you're in good health. Most people will also benefit from limiting your fructose from fruit to 15 grams a day, and, if you need to lose weight, you likely will need to limit your total fructose consumption to 15 grams a day total, including that from fruit.

Rule # 2: Reduce Your Grain Carb Consumption

Excess weight	Depression	Bloating	High blood pressure
Fatigue and frequent sleepiness	Brain fogginess	Low blood sugar	High triglycerides

If you experience any of the following symptoms, chances are very good that the excess carbohydrates in your diet are, in part or whole, to blame: the primary reason for cutting out as many grain carbs as possible is because grains convert into sugar in your body, spiking your insulin levels. Eventually, your body becomes insulin resistant, and that's when the majority of the problems really set in. Obesity is just the beginning. Insulin resistance is in fact one of the hallmarks of nearly every chronic disease known to man, from diabetes, to heart disease, to cancer.

If you want to be optimally healthy and normalize your weight, reducing your carb consumption is essential. This includes:

• Breads and baked goods (ALL grains, including organic ones)
• Rice
• Pasta
• Potatoes

We all need a certain amount of carbohydrates, of course, but, through our addiction to grains, corn, sweets and other starchy and sugary foods, we are consuming far too many. Your body's storage capacity for carbohydrates is quite limited, so here's what happens to all the excess: they are converted, via insulin, into fat and stored in the adipose (fatty) tissue.

Rule # 3: Increase Your Healthy Fat Consumption

Carbs (sugars) provide your body with energy, but it's fast burning and doesn't satisfy very long. Once you decrease carbs in the form of sugar/fructose and grains, you need to replace them with increased amounts of vegetable carbs and healthy saturated fats. Fats will not only make you feel satiated longer than carbs, but will also provide you with high quality fuel your body needs. And, while eating grains and sugars will raise your insulin levels and promote insulin resistance, eating fat does not. However, the quality of the fats is very important. Loading up on margarine and vegetable oils is asking for trouble as these types of trans fatshave been linked to:

Cancer: They interfere with enzymes your body uses to fight cancer	Decreased immune function: They reduce your immune response	Obesity
Diabetes: They interfere with the insulin receptors in your cell membranes	Problems with reproduction: They interfere with enzymes needed to produce sex hormones	Heart disease: Trans fats can cause major clogging of your arteries

At the other end of the spectrum you have saturated fats, which are:

Preferred fuel for your heart	Useful antiviral agents (caprylic acid)	Useful for lowering cholesterol levels (palmitic and stearic acids)
Carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and required for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption, and for a host of other biological processes	Effective as an anticaries, antiplaque and anti fungal agents (lauric acid)	Modulators of genetic regulation and prevent cancer (butyric acid)

Sources of healthy fats that you'll want to add to your diet include:

Olives and Olive oil (for cold dishes)	Coconuts, and coconut oil (for all types of cooking and baking)	Butter made from raw grass-fed organic milk
Raw Nuts, such as, almonds or pecans	Organic pastured egg yolks	Avocados
Grass fed meats	Palm oil	Unheated organic nut oils

Another healthful fat you want to be mindful of is animal-based omega-3. Deficiency in this essential fat can cause or contribute to very serious health problems, both mental and physical, and may be a significant underlying factor of up to 96,000 premature deaths each year. For more information about omega-3's and the best sources of this fat, please review this previous article.

Rule # 4: Avoid All "Diet" Foods, Especially Diet Sodas

Soda, in my opinion, is one of the primary health threats. A single can of Coke contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar. However, the alternative may be even worse. Diet sodas, which typically contain either aspartame or sucralose (Splenda), or a combination of both, can wreak havoc on your health in just as many ways as fructose, but since they are manmade chemicals, the toxic ramifications and side effects can be magnified.

Billions of dollars worth of advertising tells you that diet soda gives you all the pleasure of a sweet beverage or snack without any of the worries associated with excess calories. Too bad it really is too good to be true.

In fact, artificial sweeteners have actually been positively linked to weight gain—not weight loss! More recent research has demonstrated that your brain can tell the difference between real and artificial sugar, and not only are artificial sugars less satisfying to your brain at a cellular level, they also increase your craving for the real thing. So artificially sweetened foods and snacks, and diet soda in particular, must be avoided if you don't want to fuel sugar cravings.

Rule # 5: Be Sure to Eat PLENTY of Organic Vegetables

One of the best ways to improve your health is to make sure you're eating plenty of fresh, minimally processed high quality vegetables, ideally locally-grown and organic, with a majority of them consumed raw. One simple way to boost your vegetable intake is to juice them. I highly recommend it to anyone working to restore or improve their health. You can review my comprehensive approach to how to juice on my vegetable juicing page.

And for every vegetable you pack onto your plate or into your glass, you'll have less room for all those other simple carbohydrates that can expand your waistline.

Rule # 6: Optimize Your Exercise Program

A healthy diet and exercise go hand in hand when it comes to creating and maintaining optimal health. If you are struggling with your weight, exercise is clearly one of the key factors that can synergize the effects of healthy food choices. But did you know that by making some minor changes in the types of exercises you engage in, you can speed up and dramatically improve the results?

It's true.

The key to boosting weight loss and getting the most out of your exercise routine is to make sure to incorporate high-intensity, short-burst-type exercises, such as my Peak Fitness Program, two to three times per week. Several studies have confirmed that exercising in shorter bursts with rest periods in between burns more fat than exercising continuously for an entire session.

This has been shown to hold true even when the session is not done at an extremely high intensity.

This may be because these types of exercises are the closest to how the human body was designed to move—like that of a hunter-gatherer. A recent study highlights the benefits of this type of daily movement. The researchers noted that the ideal "exercise prescription" would include the following aspects of normal hunger-gatherer living:

A variety of exercises performed regularly (weight training, cardio, stretching, etc.)	Alternate difficult days with easier days	Exercise outdoors, which helps maintain vitamin Dlevels and improve mood
Interval training sessions performed once or twice a week	Weight training at least twice a week	Walk and run on softer, uneven terrain, such as grass and dirt, possibly barefoot or using "simpler shoes that do not drastically restrict foot motion or alter natural foot strike dynamics"
Exercise with a friend to receive social stimulation as well	Ample time for rest after physical exertion	Recreational activities, including dancing and sex

I completely agree that variety is yet another key to getting the most benefits from your exercise. A sound, well-rounded regimen would include:

• High intensity interval exercises
• Conventional aerobics
• Strength training
• Core exercises like Pilates
• Stretching like Yoga or active isolated stretching

If you're like most Americans, you probably have between a few and several unnecessary pounds you'd prefer not to be carrying around every day. I'm here to tell you that not only is it possible to take off the extra weight with a little thoughtful planning, it is also possible to keep the weight off simply by following a few sensible guidelines above and my nutrition plan.