Sugar Buzz

Under the category of new news that’s really old news, I found an article titled, “Does Sugar Promote Heart Disease and Cancer.”  I knew the answer to this question when I started writing these columns three years ago.  Turns out . . . Yep, sugar does indeed still promote these two deadly diseases.  I often share that the Nobel Prize was given to Dr. Otto Warburg back in 1931 for proving that sugar feeds cancer and people are shocked and in wonder why nobody talks about this.  I’m not certain why this is not common knowledge,  but the simple fact is, despite the millions of dollars spent every year on fighting heart disease and cancer, until we acknowledge and address the lifestyle causes that perpetuate these disease, there will be little-to-no change in the outcomes.

More than 1,660,290 new cancer cases are projected to be diagnosed in the US this year, resulting in an estimated 580,350 American deaths while another 600,000 Americans are expected to die of heart disease each year.  I would not expect any change in these outcomes until we face the fact that poor diet, sedentary lifestyle and chronic stress are the direct causes of these ailments.  In looking at the sugar, clinical trials have shown that those who consume high fructose corn syrup tend to develop higher risk factors for cardiovascular disease within as little as just two weeks’ time.  According to recent research, women who drink a lot of soda or other sugary beverages may be at significantly increased risk for endometrial cancer due to resulting increased levels of estrogen.  Three years ago, researchers published findings showing that fructose is readily used by cancer cells to increase their proliferation.  This includes fructose from concentrated fruit juices in addition to the high fructose corn syrup.  On the positive side, other studies indicate that if you limit your sugar, no matter what form you’re getting it in, you effectively decrease your chances of developing cancer.

If you’re looking for more information on this subject, check a book titled The Sugar Fix by Dr. Johnson.   In the meantime, start a plan for you and your family to avoid sugar, and even fructose (from juices), grains and all processed carbohydrates.  Replace these disease promoting foods with large amounts of vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats.  This will reduce your cardiovascular risk by three-fold.  Then, begin a program of regular exercise and you reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer by half!  This is the only way to reverse the trends of chronic disease that burden our society and nobody else is going to do it for us.