The Skinny on Sugar

Dhru Purohit spoke about how sugar is destroying our health with Dr. Robert Lustig, a neuroendocrinologist with expertise in metabolism, obesity, and nutrition, on a recent podcast. Dr. Lustig contends that many of our chronic diseases come down to metabolic dysfunction because of the high amount of fructose we consume, primarily in the form of sugar and processed foods.

• He argues that high fructose consumption is connected to eight chronic metabolic diseases and account for 75% of all health care costs. These 8 diseases are: type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, dementia, cardiovascular disease, cancer, fatty liver disease, and polycystic ovarian disease.

Eating processed foods is the primary way most of us consume too much fructose. Manufacturers put high fructose corn syrup or other added sugar or sugar substitutes into so many foodstuffs. Dr. Lustig claims that 74% of all products in grocery store are spiked with some type of sugar.

• While fruit is a primary form of fructose, the fiber in the fruit ensures that the fructose does not get absorbed the same way in the body.

Dr. Lustig explains how fructose works in the body and how it is much worse for us than glucose. Glucose is used by every cell in the body and is the energy of life. Our body also can make glucose from the food we eat.

• Fructose, on the other hand, is not essential. It is processed exclusively in the liver. There is no biochemical reaction that requires dietary fructose to function. Fructose actually inhibits mitochondrial function necessary to make ATP for energy and serves as a mitochondrial toxin.

Dr. Lustig blames the industrialized, processed food industry for adding sugar and salt to most foods to make them more addictive so we buy more and more. The fact that we are suffering from these diseases in not totally our fault; it is all about the hidden sugar and salt! The foods are created to be addictive. The food industry has contaminated our food for profit.

• Dr. Lustig dispels the myth that it is just calories in, calories out, which he calls the biggest lie in the history of medicine! Eat less and move more is not the answer. He argues that it is not just how much you eat that matters but it is what you eat. Some foods are better or worse for us than others.

Dr. Lustig points to four examples that he says proves his point that a calorie is not just a calorie:

• Almonds. Although a high caloric density food, eating almonds won’t make you fat. The fiber in almonds is both soluble and insoluble. The two types work together to form an impenetrable barrier that inhibits absorption of simple sugars so that the liver stays healthy. There is no insulin response or glucose response when you eat almonds and the glycemic load is kept low.

• Protein. Similarly, protein is not absorbed the same way as carbs in the body. If you eat too much steak, what happens in the body? The extra protein does not end up being stored as fat. Protein is stored in muscle but if you are not actively building muscle, it goes to liver where it will be turned into energy.

• Fats. Omega 3 fats from seafood are heart-healthy and the single best thing you can put in your body. Trans fats, on the other hand, are the worst. Bacteria can’t break the trans bond so that is why you can have a 10-year-old Twinkie. Both fats offer 9 calories per gram, but one will save your life, while the other one kills you.

• Glucose/Fructose. Both of these types of carbohydrates offer 4 calories per gram but they don’t function the same way in the body. It is not how much you eat but what your body does with what you eat. (Table sugar is a combination of glucose and fructose.)

o We consume roughly 94 pounds of sugar a year (other sources point to much higher numbers). Glucose goes to every cell in body but fructose goes only to liver. Your liver has the enzymes to detoxify a little fructose but our current consumption overtaxes the liver. Hence, one sugar-laden meal is ok but 10,000 sugar-laden meals is death.

o That is what we all are eating if we are eating processed food. For example, an apple is good to eat but when made into apple juice, now you’ve got the sugar of 4 apples but none of the fiber to reduce the rate of absorption and increase satiety. The extra fructose just floods your liver and turns it into fat.

What Can We Do?

Protect the Liver and Feed the Gut. We need to protect the liver from the onslaught of fructose and we need to feed the gut what it needs: fiber. If you don’t feed the bacteria in your microbiome, your bacteria will feed on you so need to keep your fiber up.

We also need to ensure the lining of our gastrointestinal track stays intact. When the intestinal barrier is weakened, stuff that shouldn’t end up in the blood stream does. When your lining (also known as your endothelium) is dysfunctional, you get leaky gut.

• Tight junctions in the intestinal lining are made up of proteins. What can damage tight junctions? Alcohol; fructose; over the counter (OTC) medications/antibiotics; and trans fats.

• All of these are metabolized exclusively by the liver. While they don’t cause insulin to rise, they poison the mitochondria, the factories in our cell that produce the energy we need.

Dr. Lustig says that now that we know what is causing disease, we can work to help fix our bodies in partnership with our doctor. He is optimistic that we as a culture can turn against processed foods and excess sugar because of the changes he has seen in other health issues over the last 30 years (bicycle helmets and seat belts; smoking in public places; drunk driving; and condoms in bathrooms.) None of these changes could have been foreseen 30 years ago, while now they are just facts of life.

• He argues that metabolic dysfunction and climate change are the two biggest man-made disasters. Food industry concerns are starting to get worried because they are all under a lot of pressure.

What can the individual do? 1) You vote with your fork. Mark Hyman says you vote 21 times a week. Food industry will have to listen if we exert our collective will power; 2) Talk to your congressman. Make it an important issue and put the pressure on; 3) Petition and lobby school districts to provide REAL FOOD to children.

**Content provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is derived from information from the Dhru Purohit podcast. It is not to be considered medical advice.**