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The Bitter Truth About Sugar and Its Effects on Our Health

It’s been a dizzying past few years in the public health wars. First came the welcome reprieve that eating fat probably wouldn’t hasten our deaths. Then we learned that fewer of us have gluten sensitivities than we had previously thought. Now sugar is in the spotlight as public enemy number one. And anti-sugar advocates aren’t sitting back.

We’re used to hearing about the evils of high-fructose corn syrup: It’s the demon driving our obesity epidemic because its chemical makeup enters the bloodstream more quickly than plain sugar. Yet new research shows that even pure cane sugar might be just as bad for you. It’s long been implicated in a host of health ills, such as obesity, diabetes…

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Featured

  Just say no!

Sugar: It makes for a sweet life, but maybe a shorter one.

  Everything you need to know about added sugars (and how to avoid them)

You should already be avoiding added sugars—but you’re probably not. Whoops.

  ‘Sugar — Pure, White and Deadly’

“Sugar, Pure, White and Deadly” is the title from a visionary book of its time, published by John Yudkin, professor of nutrition at the University of London in 1970. It was perceived at the time as being anti-science due to the prevailing mantra of the day that dietary saturated fats and cholesterol were the drivers of heart disease with deadly consequences.

 Being Happy With Sugar

Popular media are full of claims that sugar is toxic. And there’s intense disagreement about recommendations to replace table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup with “natural” sweeteners like agave nectar or fruit juice. What to make of it all?

 Do You Really Need to Care About Your Daily Sugar Intake?

Remember: Sugar is just one part of your diet—and your diet is just one part of your health.

 Food and drinks are getting sweeter. Even if it’s not all sugar, it’s bad for our health

Our research, published today, shows the amount of added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners in packaged foods and drinks has grown a lot over the last decade.

 How the sugar industry has distorted health science for more than 50 years

New research, published today in JAMA Internal Medicine, shows that Big Sugar may have done more than just advocate for favorable policies. Going back more than 50 years, the industry has been distorting scientific research by dictating what questions get asked about sugar, particularly questions around sugar’s role in promoting heart disease.

 Is sugar the world’s most popular drug?

It eases pain, seems to be addictive and shows every sign of causing long-term health problems. Is it time to quit sugar for good?

 The 'Real Sugar' Hype Is Totally Bogus

Sugar by any other marketing spin is still sugar.

 The Made-Up Story About How Big Sugar Shifted the Blame to Fat

It’s certainly tempting to blame corporate bad guys, but the sugar industry didn’t cook up the low-fat diet.

 The Race to Redesign Sugar

Forget artificial sweeteners. Researchers are now developing new forms of real sugar, to deliver sweetness with fewer calories. But tricking our biology is no easy feat.

 The sugar conspiracy

In 1972, a British scientist sounded the alarm that sugar – and not fat – was the greatest danger to our health. But his findings were ridiculed and his reputation ruined. How did the world’s top nutrition scientists get it so wrong for so long?

 The WellBe Guide to Different Types of Sugar (And is Good Sugar a Thing?)

Sugar gets a bad rap when it comes to your health, so we decided to do a deep dive on the topic.We wanted to answer all the questions that come up around sugar: Is it really that bad for you? What’s the link between different types of sugar and chronic disease? Is there such a thing as good sugar? How much sugar is too much? What’s the healthiest sugar, or are they all pretty much the same?

 Watch Out for These Sneaky Sugar Sources!

The average American eats about 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, but the American Heart Association recommends a limit of 5 teaspoons a day for women. Eek! But where is it coming from? Dessert isn't always the main culprit. Read on for more sneaky sources.

Articles of Interest

21 foods that have a shocking amount of sugar in them...

We hate to say it but we're all consuming a lot more sugar than we think.

8 Big Lies About Sugar We Should Unlearn

There are a few things we can all say for sure about sugar. Number one, it tastes great. And number two? It’s really, really confusing. While we can all agree that sugar isn’t exactly a health food, there’s a lot of misinformation about how sweet stuff should factor into your diet — if at all.

Big Sugar’s Sweet Little Lies

How the industry kept scientists from asking: Does sugar kill?

Sugar, not fat, exposed as deadly villain in obesity epidemic

It's addictive and toxic, like a drug, and we need to wean ourselves off it...

A history of sugar – the food nobody needs, but everyone craves

It seems as though no other substance occupies so much of the world’s land, for so little benefit to humanity, as sugar. According to the latest data, sugarcane is the world’s third most valuable crop after cereals and rice, and occupies 26,942,686 hectares of land across the globe. Its main output – apart from commercial profits – is a global public health crisis, which has been centuries in the making.

Artificial Sweeteners: Sweet or Sour?

Artificial sweeteners may be good for us – think about our ongoing battle against diabetes, obesity and tooth decay. But is there a sour – or even a bitter side to these sugar substitutes?

Brown Sugar, Raw, Honey: Which Type of Sugar Is Healthiest For You and Why

Raw sugar is formed if the final refining process is bypassed.

Can Our Bodies Even Tell the Difference Between Naturally Occurring and Added Sugars?

Nutrition labels are now specifically calling out added sugar. But...why, though?

Does Sugar Make Kids Hyper?

If a child eats cotton candy, a chocolate bar or any other kind of sugary treat, will a hyperactive frenzy follow? While some parents may swear that the answer is "yes," research shows that it's just not true.

Erythritol, xylitol, and stevia: an answer to fructose intolerance?

People with a fructose intolerance are often reluctant to consume foods containing sucrose, the chemical name for table sugar, since the compound consists of 50% fructose (and 50% glucose). Instead, sufferers opt for expensive sugar substitutes that are often specifically marketed as fructose-free alternatives. Here we take a closer look at three substitutes – xylitol, erythritol, and stevia – and assess their pros and cons compared to regular household sugar.

Gnawing Questions: Is Sugar From Fruit The Same As Sugar From Candy?

A serving of fruit, by contrast, usually contains no more than 20 grams of sugar, has fiber and has nutrients like vitamin C. As Wright puts it: "You're getting a lot of bang for your buck." And fiber and lower sugar amounts can also decrease sugar spikes in blood levels.

Halloween...Who’s Tricking Who?

We know that candy isn’t exactly good for us, but have you ever thought about what eating so much of it does to a child’s small body? I have, and what I found is scarier than any trick these kids can come up with. -

Have your cake and eat it: how to cut down on sugar

As a doctor and baking columnist Tamal Ray was better placed than most to understand the pitfalls of his lifelong sugar crush. How can even the most sweet-toothed among us cut down?

Health check: five sweeteners and what they mean for you

There’s been a lot of debate over the role sugar and its substitutes play in our diet. So let’s take a look at what’s on the market and what it all means for health.

How Much Sugar Is Too Much? A New Tool Sheds Some Light

These days, sugar is pretty much everywhere in the American diet. A new initiative from the University of California, San Francisco spells out the health dangers of this glut of sugar in clear terms. For the project, called SugarScience, a team of researchers distilled 8,000 studies and research papers and found strong evidence that overconsumption of added sugar contributes to three major chronic illnesses: heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and liver disease.

How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat

The sugar industry paid scientists in the 1960s to play down the link between sugar and heart disease and promote saturated fat as the culprit instead, newly released historical documents show.

How To Choose The Right Sugar For Your Baking

What are the differences between brown and white sugar? This primer will walk you through the uses for both, and for other types of sugar.

If Sugar Is Harmless, Prove It

In recent years, some researchers have focused on the particular role refined sugar may play in these epidemics. Perhaps the most comprehensive analysis of this research has been put forth by the science journalist, Gary Taubes, author of the recent book, “The Case Against Sugar.”

If sugar is so bad for us, why is the sugar in fruit OK?

Evidence shows that the health risks from sugars, such as tooth decay and unhealthy weight gain, are related to consuming too many free sugars in the diet, not from eating sugars that are naturally present in fruits or milk.

Is sugar really as addictive as cocaine? Scientists row over effect on body and brain

Heated debate has greeted an article in a medical journal suggesting sugar should be considered an addictive drug, as experts deride the claims as ‘absurd’.

Is Sugar Really Toxic? Sifting through the Evidence

Here's the true bitter truth: Yes, most of us should make an effort to eat less sugar—but if we are really committed to staying healthy, we'll have to do a lot more than that.

Is Sugar Toxic?

If Lustig is right, then our excessive consumption of sugar is the primary reason that the numbers of obese and diabetic Americans have skyrocketed in the past 30 years. But his argument implies more than that. If Lustig is right, it would mean that sugar is also the likely dietary cause of several other chronic ailments widely considered to be diseases of Western lifestyles — heart disease, hypertension and many common cancers among them.

Is the Sugar in Fruit Healthy or Unhealthy?

There’s a point in all this that’s not frequently made in the media or by health professionals: Sugar as it occurs in whole foods is not an issue; in fact, it is necessary and should be embraced. It’s a problem only when it is extracted from its natural package and used to excess.

May Cause Earth Decay

Is regular sugar greener than high-fructose corn syrup?

Study Links Depression and Anxiety to High Sugar Diets

Men in the top third for sugar consumption were 23 percent more likely to experience depression or anxiety over the next five years.

Sugar - the "unknown" insider

Sugar, oh no. Please, don't! Or just a little. There is a lot of debate, discussion, and philosophizing about sugar. But one thing is certain. Sugar is a useful substance for our physical well-being.

Sugar is as dangerous as alcohol and tobacco, warn health experts

Britain's obesity crisis could be reversed within five years if food companies reduced sugar in products by 30 per cent, health experts claim as they launch a new campaign to cut intake.

Sugar Season. It’s Everywhere, and Addictive

Sugar is addictive. And we don’t mean addictive in that way that people talk about delicious foods. We mean addictive, literally, in the same way as drugs. And the food industry is doing everything it can to keep us hooked.

Sugar, explained

Sugar is the dietary villain of our day. But the science is complicated.

Sugar: a guide to the sweet stuff in all its forms

Can you enjoy sweet food and drink without overloading on calories, and is honey really better for you than refined white sugar? Learn how to tell one sweetener from another with our essential guide.

Sugar: A Matter of Life and Death

Did food companies deliberately set out to manipulate research on American health in their favor? Gary Taubes’s powerful new history, ‘The Case Against Sugar,’ will convince you that they did.

Sweet poison: why sugar is ruining our health

The average Briton consumes 238 teaspoons of sugar each week - often without knowing it. But just how hard is it to go sugar free?

The 'Real Sugar' Hype Is Totally Bogus

Most of the sugar we eat comes from one of three sources: beets, corn, and sugar cane. So that "real cane sugar" claim on the label? It’s simply describing plain white sugar—which, yes, is real sugar. Companies usually use this particular statement to make their product seem healthier than one that’s made with high-fructose corn syrup. The truth is, though, that HFCS in its sweetest form has only 5 percent more fructose than "real cane sugar," making them very similar.

The case for eliminating sugar. All of it

Gary Taubes argues in a new book that sugar is toxic and should be consumed as often as tobacco. As in, never.

The Downside of Having a Sweet Tooth

Regular consumption of sugary drinks heightens the risk not only of tooth decay, obesity, fatty liver disease and Type 2 diabetes, but also of heart disease and premature death.

The Harmful Effects of Sugar

In my opinion, there is no safe amount of processed or refined sugar. Naturally contained sugars in fruit and vegetables are balanced by the fiber, vitamins, enzymes and other properties of the fruit/vegetable which slow sugar digestion and help the body deal with it more easily. Processed varieties, on the other hand, provide none of these benefits...

The Sugar Industry Killed a Study 50 Years Ago That Suggested a Link to Cancer

“Their goal was to derail the scientific conversation on these issues.”

The Sugar Wars

Science can’t prove it and the industry denies it, but Gary Taubes is convinced that the sweet stuff kills.

The Sugar-Addiction Taboo

When can you call a food addictive?

This Is Why Sugar Is So Damn Addictive

According to new research from UC Davis, the root of our global sugar addiction isn't just an inescapable sweet tooth: Sugar can actually act as a stress reliever.

What Sugar Actually Does to Your Brain and Body

We consume an enormous amount of sugar, whether consciously or not, but it's a largely misunderstood substance. There are different kinds and different ways your body processes them all. Some consider it poison and others believe it's the sweetest thing on earth. Here's a look at the different forms of sugar, the various ways they affect you, and how they play a role in healthy—and unhealthy—diets.

What Sugar Really Does to Your Body

There's bad news, and there's good news. Here's how you can stay healthy.

What The Industry Knew About Sugar's Health Effects, But Didn't Tell Us

Back in the 1960s, the fact that our diets influence the risk of heart disease was still a new idea. And there was a debate about the role of fats and the role of sugar. The sugar industry got involved in efforts to influence this debate. "What the sugar industry successively did," argues Stanton Glantz of the University of California, San Francisco, "is they shifted all of the blame onto fats."

What’s the difference between sugar, other natural sweeteners and artificial sweeteners?

The simplest sugars are single-molecule sugars called monosaccharides. You’ve probably heard of some of these. Glucose is the most basic sugar and is mostly made by plants. Fructose is a sugar from fruit. Galactose is a sugar in milk. Table sugar – or sucrose, which comes from sugar cane – is an example of a dissacharide, a compound made of two monosaccharides.

White, brown, raw, honey: which type of sugar is best?

Despite the large variety of sugars, they are very similar nutritionally. They are comprised predominantly of glucose, fructose and sucrose, which are the basic forms of sugar. Glucose and fructose are slightly different in chemical structure, while sucrose is a sugar composed of one glucose and one fructose.

Why Is Too Much Sugar Bad for You?

The bottom line is that sugar does one of two things. It either displaces more nutritious foods in your diet, which means you're screening out nutritious-dense foods, or it adds calories to your diet. So if you're adding calories on top of an already nutritious diet that puts you at risk for weight gain.

Why sugar is bad for you

And why its dangers are still being ignored in too many countries

Why Sugar Makes Us Feel So Good

The takeaway is pretty clear: If you're sensitive to sugar and inclined to indulge in a supersugary treat, do it rarely and cautiously. Otherwise, there's a pretty good chance that your brain is going to start demanding sugar loudly and often. And we're probably better off without that extra voice in our head.

Yes, Sugar Is Poison But That's OK

Sugar is—apparently—poison, a pervasive menace has made us all fat and is going to kill us and our kids. But here's the thing—I don't want my kids to be afraid of it, or any food for that matter.

You don’t need to quit sugar to improve your health

But you don’t need to quit sugar to lift your game on healthy eating. Quitting sugar is unlikely to improve your health any more than cutting down on ultra-processed foods, eating more vegetables, cooking food from scratch and limiting how much extra sugar you eat and drink. At best, the sugar-free diet is confusing and imposes an arbitrary set of rules that aren’t based on scientific evidence. At worst, such a restrictive diet can create food fear or an unhealthy relationship with food.

Resources

10 Things You Don’t Know About Sugar

Excessive sugar in the diet is not the best idea when it comes to healthy living. Nonetheless, few of us are consuming sugar in recommended moderate amounts and most of us are eating tons of it. In fact, worldwide we are consuming about 500 extra calories a day from sugar.

50 Years Ago, Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists To Point Blame At Fat

The sugar-funded project in question was a literature review, examining a variety of studies and experiments. It suggested there were major problems with all the studies that implicated sugar, and concluded that cutting fat out of American diets was the best way to address coronary heart disease. The authors of the new article say that for the past five decades, the sugar industry has been attempting to influence the scientific debate over the relative risks of sugar and fat.

Intelligent Sugar

ntelligent Sugar is a company founded by the world-renowned scientist Dr Johannes Coy. Our primary focus is to raise awareness about the benefits of Dr Coy’s sugars, such as tagatose, galactose, isomaltulose, and trehalose — which provide sweetness and added health benefits.

SugarScience

SugarScience is the authoritative source for evidence-based, scientific information about sugar and its impact on health.

American Sugar Alliance

The American Sugar Alliance is a national coalition of sugarcane and sugar beet producers, including sugar farmers, sugar processors, sugar refiners, sugar suppliers, sugar workers and others dedicated to preserving a strong U.S. sugar industry.

The Sugar Association

Sugar beet and sugar cane farmers are growing nature’s oldest sweetener, and our association is growing awareness of and confidence in sugar.