The SUGAR MYTH
Over recent decades, various foods have been demonized. Fats. Then carbs. Oh, wait, fats are good, but NOT trans fats. Gluten! SUGAR. The demonization of sugar has seemed to stick (pun intended). Popular media’s sensationalized stories and pseudoscientific journal articles continue to promote fear mongering regarding sugar.
While I am not a dietician, I want to address the fear associated with sugar due to the psychological implications. Upon reviewing the research on sugar, it’s important to recognize that the studies have been conducted using RATS. RATS.Not humans. While animal studies are informative and useful, humans are significantly more complex than RATS.To generalize such findings to humans is irresponsible. Most notably, rats in these sugar studies are fed pure sugar AFTER BEING RESTRICTED of food. Most sugar ingested by humans is not in pure granular form, but rather sugar serves as a component of the food we eat. Such foods likely include fat, fiber, and other nutrients that then impact how the sugar is metabolized and used by the body. Sugar in foods make foods more salient and pleasurable. This is an essential survival mechanism. If it tastes good, we’re inclined to seek it and SURVIVE! When deprived of food (restriction), that pleasurable quality of food increases exponentially. This speaks to rats increased dopaminergic response to the sugar they received in these studies. Yes, our human brains will similarly react or “light up” when we consume sugar since dopamine will be released. Dopamine is the “reward” neurotransmitter in our brain and also the “future oriented” neurotransmitter. This means dopamine is released when we are PLANNING to eat food or planning a trip or planning to pet a puppy :) When studies site the human brain “lighting up” in response to sugar, this is really not groundbreaking information. The reward center of our brain lights up in response to many things. In regards to these studies what they selectively choose to not emphasize is that the humans are in a fasted state. Like our rat brethren, we are wired to survive and therefore when given sugar in a fasted state, our bodies will have a heightened response SO THAT WE SURVIVE. Our bodies are smart! You know what our brain doesn’t need to be in a fasted state to “light up” to? Puppies. Music. Sex. Did I mention puppies?
DIABETES
Many fear mongering studies associate sugar consumption with the development of diabetes. There is NO RESEARCH that supports diabetes/insulin resistance being CAUSED by sugar consumption. The greatest predictor of diabetes you ask? Family history. This speaks to genetics and heritability. Diabetes impacts our cells ability to utilize energy. This indicates that the dysfunction is happening at a cellular level. Cellular processes are not working effectively regardless of the amount of sugar consumed. This is a much greater problem than dietary choices. Sugar consumption (carbohydrates included) will impactblood glucose levels but it does not cause the cellular mechanisms to function ineffectively. Furthermore, when we speak of “blood sugar spiking” or “lowering”, it can raise and lower AND REMAIN WITHIN A NORMAL RANGE.
ADDICTION
More recently, sugar has been deemed addictive. Like drugs. In his book “the gluten lie” Alan levinovitz asks “if sugar is so addictive, why aren’t fruits addictive?” He mentions Yale nutritionist David Katz’s input noting there is no logic behind fructose being toxic after all fructose in its purest form is found in fruit. He later goes on to state that the metabolic processes of sugar continue to remain theoretical with the only known “metabolic difference between fruit and candy, is that it’s a lot easier to eat tons of candy than it is to eat tons of apples” (Levinovitz, p. 105). To me this implies psychological influences.
Now, I will clarify that I am not recommending one consume massive, excessive amounts of sugar. That genuinely does not make us feel well. I’m also not promoting the massive, excessive consumption of kale (that would really do a number on your digestive system!). What I am saying is that sugar is NOTHING to fear and it can completely be part of a balanced, healthful LIFE. Eating a tasty, fun food like ice cream or cookies is completely okay. Our bodies can handle it. Nothing deleterious will happen to your body, your health, or your well-being. What will have such negative effects? Not allowing yourself to enjoy pleasurable, fun foods due to fear. No one will feel well, satiated, or satisfied eating purely sugar so if you believe “that’s all I’ll want to eat”, the true culprit in this scenario is the mental deprivation/restriction. Our body actually cannot distinguish mental deprivation from physiological deprivation therefore if you’re telling yourself “this is the only time I can have this”, it is likely you will feel “crazy” around sugar. If you give yourself full permission to have the food in question, relinquish guilt, and truly enjoy, the “craziness” will subside. A cookie a day will not kill you. Stressing about a cookie a day might.