Sugar Addiction
We do not have to wait for these adolescents and children to grow up and become adults to see how our overconsumption of sugar has led to diabetes. Chances are extremely high that you know someone with type 2 diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the incidence rate for diabetes type 2 was at least 50% in most states between 1995 and 2010 and some states saw an increase of 100%. States in the southern part of the United States saw an increase in diabetes diagnosis of 226% (Oklahoma) and the incidence rate for obesity was just as high (“Sugar and Desserts: American Diabetes Association®,” 2016). Obesity is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes which is why 79 million people have been diagnosed as prediabetic
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One of the most prominent argument against the validity of sugar as an addictive substance comes from individuals who say that diets that avoid all sugars do not help bring down blood glucose levels and weight. What these individuals must understand is that when reading a label and only looking at the sugars section, one can be misled to believe there are no sugars or that there are very few. To get a more accurate picture, one must look at the total carbohydrates since that includes all sugars, including sugar alcohols found in a lot of diet sodas now. Also it is worth pointing out that there is a level at which a manufacturer can say it is sugar free or reduced if it’s under a certain threshold. Most people just assume there is no sugar when there are added sugars present. Another argument brought up is that these chronic illnesses have a genetic component to them and diet plays a minimal part in genetics. There are two things wrong with this statement. When are environment including what we eat influences are gene expression, that is known as epigenetics. Recent studies have shown that there is a significant correlation between gene expression and our environment so it is worth looking at the foods we eat and see how they could affect us genetically (Avena et al., 2008). These same individuals also believe that you need to have a certain gene to be affected by these illnesses when the data shows that while some illnesses do have a genetic influence, most do not. One last argument that critics make is that if sugar is so detrimental to your health, then why is it found in fruits and dairy. While it is true that sugar in small quantities is necessary for normal function, the sugar we use to sweeten our beverages and
One of the most prominent argument against the validity of sugar as an addictive substance comes from individuals who say that diets that avoid all sugars do not help bring down blood glucose levels and weight. What these individuals must understand is that when reading a label and only looking at the sugars section, one can be misled to believe there are no sugars or that there are very few. To get a more accurate picture, one must look at the total carbohydrates since that includes all sugars, including sugar alcohols found in a lot of diet sodas now. Also it is worth pointing out that there is a level at which a manufacturer can say it is sugar free or reduced if it’s under a certain threshold. Most people just assume there is no sugar when there are added sugars present. Another argument brought up is that these chronic illnesses have a genetic component to them and diet plays a minimal part in genetics. There are two things wrong with this statement. When are environment including what we eat influences are gene expression, that is known as epigenetics. Recent studies have shown that there is a significant correlation between gene expression and our environment so it is worth looking at the foods we eat and see how they could affect us genetically (Avena et al., 2008). These same individuals also believe that you need to have a certain gene to be affected by these illnesses when the data shows that while some illnesses do have a genetic influence, most do not. One last argument that critics make is that if sugar is so detrimental to your health, then why is it found in fruits and dairy. While it is true that sugar in small quantities is necessary for normal function, the sugar we use to sweeten our beverages and