News Taffy

If you need more evidence to convince you that the food industry does not have your best interest at heart, particularly when it comes to your health, you should definitely read further. Just a few days ago, researchers at The University of California San Francisco released their findings that during the 1970’s the sugar industry undermined federally funded research into tooth decay. The sugar industry had long known sugar caused tooth decay and that the government would recommend cutting back on its consumption.

The sugar industry used the same techniques used by the tobacco industry for years to persuade the government that cigarettes didn’t cause cancer. The sugar industry funded research to find ways to minimize sugar’s harmful effects rather than to cut back on it’s use. Even now, the industry is opposing government recommended caps posted on nutrition labels on the amount of added sugars in people’s diets by saying there isn’t enough scientific research to support such a cap.

Really? I think science has more than proved that sugar has no nutritional value but contains a whole lot of calories which turn into fat if you consume too much. Your dentist will certainly tell you that sugar contributes to tooth decay and most diabetics understand that sugar does terrible things to their bodies. Other studies are linking sugar to premature aging of the skin and even the brain and the proliferation of certain cancers.

Worse, Americans do not realize how much sugar they consume nor how many foods contain hidden sugars. The average American consumes between 150 to 170 pounds of sugar a year while in contrast, about 100 years ago, Americans ate about 4 pounds a year. Let’s break that down into math you can grasp more easily. Eating 150 pounds of sugar a year means you eat roughly 1/4 pound a day. Since the average canned soda contains 8 ounces of sugar, you can easily consume 1/4 pound of sugar by drinking 4 soda’s, something many people do without thinking. That doesn’t even take into account all the other food you eat every day that contains sugar like coffee drinks, soups, salad dressing and pasta sauces.

Further, don’t by fooled by claims that natural sugars like honey or molasses are better for you than refined white sugar. Sugar is sugar; it is high in calories but none of it contains any nutrition needed by your body. Be careful of those coffee drinks which seem to be replacing sodas for many - a 16 oz. Starbucks caffe Latte contains 17 grams of sugar or about 4 teaspoons.

This is why I continue to preach that to be healthy, you need to prepare your own meals from whole, unprocessed fruits, vegetables and meats. You can not continue to be fooled by food labels claiming something is a “good source of fiber” or made from “multi-grains”. The food industry uses many phrases to fool you into thinking their products are wholesome and good for you. Play it safe, cut back on processed foods and make your own!