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The Bitter Truth About Sugar Argumentative Essay

746 Words3 Pages

In today’s world, sugar is viewed as toxic and harmful to the human body. Although true when consumed without moderation, sugar is extremely vital to one’s overall well-being. With the media encouraging sugar-restrictive diets, Americans are misled into believing this sweet substance is the enemy and eliminating it is the solution for reaching weight loss goals. However, this is not the case. Sugar, through the consumption of natural and unprocessed foods, is essential in order to sustain optimal fitness. Although sugar is pernicious to the body, cutting glucose completely out of a diet is not the solution to a healthier lifestyle. The health conscious community never fails to reveal the flaws in reports made by dietitians and nutritionists that advise the limitations of certain foods. Food, by definition, is any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, in order to maintain life and growth. The meals we mistake for actual food come in unnatural forms, often processed and overall …show more content…

The negative effects portrayed in these researches often forget to mention the health benefits of real whole foods infused with natural sugars. In “The Bitter Truth about Sugar and its Effects on Our Health,” Elizabeth Richards claims sugar is more addictive than cocaine. “Recent research with rats suggests that sugar is addictive and stimulates the brain’s reward centers even more robustly that cocaine” (Richards). The body’s negative response of withdrawal encouraging sugar-free diets can lead to stress, drowsiness and irregular levels of cortisol. This may be a short-term weight loss solution, nonetheless, removing sugar from a diet completely will only generate stronger cravings. “Sugar in the form of glucose is the preferred and most efficient fuel source” (Konie). The response is the body’s way of telling the brain it needs

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. . . In this issue of the JCI [Journal of Clinical Investigation], Stanhope and colleagues demonstrate that consumption of fructose-sweetened but not glucose-sweetened beverages for 10 weeks increases de novo lipid synthesis, promotes dyslipidemia, impairs insulin sensitivity, and increases visceral adiposity in overweight or obese adults” (Abstract). Fructose sweetener is another way to say high fructose corn syrup. This study proved that fructose sweetened drinks caused harm to the body and signaled a starting point for diseases such as metabolic syndrome, obesity, insulin difficulties, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and ultimately coronary heart disease. Not only does high fructose cause stress on the body, but fructose can also cause serious

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In the article it reads, “...a sugar-soaked diet can lead to metabolic syndrome and from there to diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.” (421). By saying this the author effectively reminds us of the seriousness behind this type of dieting by listing, and naming, such malignant

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In fact, through a recent study at Princeton University, after observing changes in rats that consumed high fructose corn syrup, scientists were able to conclude that the cheap sugar substitute has addicting effects on the brain “similar to some drugs of abuse” (Parker, 2010). Behaviors that individuals who take in excess amounts of HFCS encounter such as binge eating, withdrawal, and craving, for instance, all relate to the same neurochemical change, where enkephalin mRNA, dopamine, and acetylcholine release in the nucleus accumbens, in the brain that occur in humans addicted to drugs (Avena, 2007). Thus, in the same way that a drug fiend depends on drugs humans begin to depend on High Fructose Corn Syrup, both needing their daily fix which is especially apparent in the growing number of overweight people since HFCS became present in nearly every processed food (Avena,

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The French and Indian War left England with a debt of £130,000,000. To help pay off the debt Britain set up taxes, to collect money, on frequently used products by the colonists. The Molasses Act put a six pence tax on every gallon of molasses. The colonists thought this was a lot of money to pay so they did everything to avoid it. This act was not really enforced and the colonists did not really obey this act.

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According to Dr. Lustig, fructose is a major threat to the well being of people because it is an economic evil. Fructose is extremely inexpensive to produce, especially in large quantities, and is used in most foods we eat today. Avoidance of fructose consequently becomes difficult and majority of the population then ingests excessive amounts of the sugar. Metabolization of fructose causes the suppression of the effects of ghrelin and slows stimulation of insulin and leptin. Since the biochemical processes that involve ghrelin, insulin, and leptin are compromised the feeling of hunger doesn’t seem to leave or the sense of being full doesn’t appear.

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Lustig (2012) explains and suggests the following: Authorities consider sugar as ‘empty calories’ but there is nothing empty about these calories. 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… they [Government] must consider limiting fructose and its main delivery vehicles, the added sugars HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup) and sucrose, which pose dangers to individuals and to society as a whole. (p.28) Another process that occurs in the body is that, “sugar dampens the suppression of the hormone ghrelin, which signals hunger to the brain…interferes with the normal transport and signaling of the hormone leptin, which helps to produce the feeling of satiety…and it reduces dopamine signaling in the brain’s reward center” (Lustig, 2012, p. 28). Though these are only a few examples and there are many more such as sugar feeding cancer cells, it should give you a basic understanding of just how bad sugar is for the

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Sugar- the nation’s epitome of an unhealthy American diet. The evil that gives pleasure to the mouth, but does no justice to health. Needless to say, it is our nation’s drug, poison and everyone is addicted without having a grasp on the damage it has done in the past, is currently doing, and futuristically doing for our children and our children’s children. Sugar has taken a toll on our nation and has single-handedly become the substandard, ruinous enemy to our individual health. Our health is being jeopardized more than ever before.

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In order to prevent the negative effects that come with sugar, people need to slow down on consuming it so

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Sugar, which is in almost everything, is one of the biggest problems. As noted on, “Is Sugar Toxic”, Dr. Robert Lustig, the lead researcher says sugar links to a number of diseases from obesity to heart disease. He also states that 75% of these are preventable. Studies have shown that when we consume sugar, it’s equivalent to when someone does cocaine. Another study by Dr. Cantley has shown that sugar can help cancerous cells grow and multiply.

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Sugar can contribute to a lot of unnecessary weight gain, lethargy, and illnesses such as diabetes. Those were not the kind of problems I needed in life. I researched the sugar detox. A quick internet search told me that I had my work cut out for me. Not only would I have to get rid of my snacks, I’d also have to give up on my pastas and wine.

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Sugar especially is the culprit when it comes to health problems from food. Sugars are addictive empty calories providing no nutritional value thus causing you to over eat and intake excess calories which will turn into fat. Studies even show that the consumption of sugar can cause endorphins to be released into the brain as a reward system or to feel good from the sugar consumed, which causes you to eat more. It is

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Processed foods and beverages are the biggest sources of added sugar (and High fructose) in the diet. Sugar is very unhealthy and can have serious adverse effects on metabolism when consumed in excess. Sugar contains a lot of calories, with no essential nutrients. It also causes tooth decay by feeding the harmful bacteria in the mouth. For people who are inactive and eat a processed food, large amounts of fructose from added sugars get turned into fat in the liver.

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