Big Food CORRUPTING our taste buds?

Dear Reader,

Craving sugar is an inherent, natural response.

In fact, it helped us survive back when we didn’t have the abundance of food that we have now.

But nowadays, the sugar in our food supply is preposterous. The list of foods that contain sugar or some sort of sweetener is far too long.

And we get introduced to this addictive substance as early as age two!

Of course, I’ve been railing about this issue my entire career.

So, let’s tune into someone else’s rant on the subject. Because it turns out—Big Food could be CORRUPTING our taste buds…

“Less” might actually be MORE

According to a 2020 report from the Academy of Dietetics and Nutrition, Americans are trying to consume less sugar for health reasons. As a result, the sale of food and beverages with added sugar has been trending downwards.

That’s great news, right?

Well, while some manufacturers are cutting back on the sugar, they’re adding other ingredients, like artificial sweeteners.

Meaning Americans probably aren’t actually consuming less sugary foods.

(And we already know how dangerous artificial sweeteners are to our health. Research has linked them to disrupting the gut microbiome, increasing risk of heart disease, stroke, and more.)

Researchers in Australia decided to take a straightforward approach: They measured sugar and other sweeteners added to food and beverages, including those labeled “calorie free.”

Their findings show that the volume of artificial sweeteners in beverages increased by a whopping 36 percent per volume between 2007-2018.

And even though sugars in beverages decreased by 22 percent in upper-income countries, it climbed as much as 40 percent in low- and middle-income countries.

In other words, our food supply is getting sweeter…  and more addictive.

Don’t be fooled by hyped-up packaging

You know, this all started with the low-fat craze.

Manufacturers had to add extra sugars to preserve a food flavor and texture once the fats were reduced or removed.

But clearly, there’s a lot at stake here.

From the ripe age of two, an American child is more likely to consume a sugar-sweetened product than a fruit or vegetable on any given day. (And food preferences are established early.)

This is one reason I wrote my book, Feed Your Kids Well. Back then, I was horrified by the obesity epidemic in our youth. And things have only gotten worse…

Most consumers look at packaging claims in order to make dietary decisions. And when they see “less sugar,” “zero calories,” etc., they believe they’re making a healthy choice.

But keep in mind that food packages can say almost anything.

The truth lies in the ingredients list and the nutritional facts label.

So, what’s the secret?

Well, you can learn how to decipher food labels. (I talk about this more in the November 2019 issue of my monthly newsletter, Logical Health Alternatives [“How Big Food’s favorite marketing ploy is hurting consumers, animals, and the environment”]).

But the easiest solution of all is…

EAT REAL FOODS.

You know, the fresh, whole foods that don’t even need a label. Like what you can grab from a local farm stand or farmer’s market—or the perimeter of a grocery store.

Until next time,

Dr. Fred

P.S. This Sunday, February 19^th at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern time), I’ll be hosting my Ultimate Anti-Aging Summit. During this event, I’ll be sharing dozens of age-rewinding discoveries. Don’t miss out! Click here to reserve your FREE spot to this online event!

Source:

“Our Food Is Getting Sweeter, Changing Appetites.” WedMD, 11/14/2022. (webmd.com/diet/news/20221114/our-food-is-getting-sweeter-changing-appetities)