Certain genes may affect an individual’s susceptibility to said diseases but the key cause of these diseases is the large amount of sucrose being ingested. When sucrose enters the body it is catabolized into monomers of glucose. The abundance of glucose in the body triggers the release of a peptide hormone called insulin. Insulin is released by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans’s in the pancreas. The release of insulin activates the metabolic pathway, called glycolysis, that converts glucose into pyruvate and into energy molecules (ATP). However, many of us ingest much more glucose than is necessary for our bodies to convert into energy. As such, all the excess is stored in our bodies (mostly the liver and muscles) as glycogen via glycogenesis. When glucose is needed from these glycogen stores, such as during times of fasting or extraneous exercise for example, the hormone glucagon is secreted by the alpha cells in the pancreas which stimulates the breakdown of glycogen into glucose through the process of gluconeogenesis.
The article sheds light on the ethical bankruptcy of the sugar industry when they pulled the plug on a research investigation aimed at discerning the impacts of sugar on health. According to their representatives, they stopped funding the project due to the researchers having missed their deadline and having gone over budget. Whatever their true reasons were, their actions make the sugar industry appear as though they were attempting to cover up the truth and that they had prior knowledge of the role that sugar plays in health disparities. They probably wouldn’t seem so guilty of this if they had allowed the study they were funding to be completed and any results published. The reason this is so ethically crucial is because there could have been a large difference in the prevalence and incidence of sugar-related diseases we see today. Of course, we will never know for sure, but it is a valid conjecture. Preventative measures could have been enacted to improve the lives of the thousands of patients suffering with those diseases.
References:
Aubrey, A. (2017, November 21). What The Industry Knew About Sugar's Health Effects, But Didn't Tell Us. Retrieved November 23, 2017, from https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/11/21/565766988/what-the-industry-knew-about-sugars-health-effects-but-didnt-tell-us
Aubrey, A. (2014, February 04). Sweet Tooth Gone Bad: Why 22 Teaspoons Of Sugar Per Day Is Risky. Retrieved November 23, 2017, from https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/02/03/271130613/sweet-tooth-gone-bad-why-22-teaspoons-of-sugar-per-day-is-deadly
Kearns CE, Apollonio D, Glantz SA. (2017) Sugar industry sponsorship of germ-free rodent studies linking sucrose to hyperlipidemia and cancer: An historical analysis of internal documents. PLoS Biol. 15(11): e2003460. https:// doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2003460
I have recently read similar articles that challenge the popular belief that fats should be avoided rather than sugar. An interesting article published by Harvard Health touches on the dangers sugars have on cardiovascular health. Such findings add stock to newer dieting trends such as the "Paleo" diet, in which processed foods and sugars are avoided but healthy fats are celebrated, with the central justification being that we as human were not made to consume as much sugar and processed food as is common today.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/eating-too-much-added-sugar-increases-the-risk-of-dying-with-heart-disease-201402067021
With the increased awareness of the negative impacts of sugar, I believe that more work needs to be done to educate people on how the everyday products that they consume have become hidden sources of sugar. While most people are aware of common sugar sources such as candy and regular soda, there are many foods that are advertised as being healthy that are full of added sugar. According to the University of California San Francisco, "A single cup of bran cereal with raisins, in a box advertising "no high-fructose corn syrup," contains 20 grams of sugar per serving." This is especially concerning considering the fact that men are supposed to consume no more than 38 grams of sugar a day (about 9 teaspoons) and women are supposed to consume no more than 25 grams of sugar (about 6 teaspoons). With everyday foods being made into sugar bombs by the addition of sugar, an increased emphasis on reading nutrition labels may become key in combatting sugar's negative effects.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Hidden in Plain Sight. (2017, April 01). Retrieved December 03, 2017, from http://sugarscience.ucsf.edu/hidden-in-plain-sight/#.WiTSxrS78Wo
Let's remember that both sugar and fats are essential sources of the energy substrates that our bodies need to perform optimally. Certainly there are occasions where we need sugar as the primary energy, as in the case of proper brain functioning since the human brain uses glucose as an energy substrate. However, you do make the point that the sugar industry has some rather shady practices in regards to ethically carrying out research (oddly enough, I blogged about the Coca-Cola Company's involvement in a research ethics breach in another post). If the true reasons of the above article are not clear enough, the lack of transparency on the matter should be a red flag for anyone who has any experience dealing with an ethics review board. Thorough and truthful research needs to be maintained so that we don't inadvertently harm individuals who base their lifestyle choices on such information!
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