Sugar–and all of its evils.

Sugar shock

Imagine my surprise when I sat down to watch 60 Minutes this past weekend, and their big expose was on the very topic I’ve been railing against for years.

Sugar–and all of its evils.

Of course, I was thrilled that this information was going out to such a massive audience. But I have to admit I was annoyed by Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s complete ignorance on the subject. Even more depressing? Realizing that if a trained medical professional is surprised by this stuff, the average Joe must not have a clue.

I just hope someone from the American Diabetes Association was watching. Maybe now they’ll reconsider their “60 grams of carbs per peal” recommendation.

And of course, to do a fair story, you need to present both sides. So they interviewed some sugar farmer who said that the science isn’t clear that sugar causes any health risks. DUH! What did they expect him to say?

Anyway, here are some of the facts presented during the expose that seemed to blow Sanjay’s mind:

1. The “calorie is a calorie” concept is wrong. Calories from sugar are more likely to make you gain weight.
2. Consumption of high fructose corn syrup (less than you get from one can of soda) increases LDL within two weeks.
3. When they take fat out of processed foods, they replace it with sugar.
4. The insulin spike that happens when you eat sugar meals is a catalyst for cancer.
5. Sugar is addictive. It activates the same pleasure centers of the brain that cocaine does.
6. You can build up a tolerance to sugar.  So you need to eat more and more to experience the same “high.”
7. Sugar leads to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Of course, none of this comes as a surprise to you. You’ve heard each and every one of those things before–right here! And from the many pioneers that came before me. Brilliant people like Dr. Robert Atkins, Drs. Michael and Mary Eades, and Drs. Richard and Rachel Heller, Dr. Johnny Bowden, and Dr. Dian Griesel–just to name a few.

I’m proud to have picked up the torch. And to know that my patients–and you–are better educated than most of the country (including some high-profile M.D.s). Not to mention healthier.