25,000 U.S. Deaths Linked To Sugary Drinks

In a study that’s sure to shake up the soda ban debate, Harvard researchers have linked the sugary drinks to 180,000 deaths a year worldwide, 25,000 in the United States alone.

One on side, there is the doctor overseeing this study stating that ”I think our findings should really impel policymakers to make effective policies to reduce sugary beverage consumption since it causes a significant number of deaths.”

Countering that opinion, many politicians, as well as the American Beverage Association criticized the study.  ”It is simply not the role of government to micro-regulate citizens’ dietary decisions,” Bryant said in a statement. “The responsibility for one’s personal health depends on individual choices about a proper diet and appropriate exercise.”

Where do you stand?  Is limiting serving sizes of sugary drinks reasonable and in the best health interest of millions of consumers…or government overreach? 

The Sugar And Alzheimer's Connection

When people develop insulin resistance, insulin spikes “begin to overwhelm the brain, which can’t constantly be on high alert,” And then bad things happen: “Either alongside the other changes associated with type 2 diabetes, or separately, the brain may then begin to turn down its insulin signalling, impairing your ability to think and form memories before leading to permanent neural damage”—and eventually, Alzheimer’s.

High Blood Sugar Levels Tied To Brain Shrinkage

A new study finds that people whose blood sugar was in the high end of a normal range (but not yet in the range for diabetes or prediabetes) were more likely to experience brain shrinkage in the hippocampus and amygdala — an effect that normally occurs when a person ages, or experiences dementia.

“These findings suggest that even for people who do not have diabetes, blood sugar levels could have an impact on brain health,” study researcher Nicolas Cherbuin, Ph.D., said in a statement.

Should Sugar be Regulated Like a Drug?

Sugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol and tobacco, contend a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

An opinion piece called “The Toxic Truth About Sugar” in the journal Nature argues that it’s a misnomer to consider sugar just “empty calories.”  

“There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills - slowly.”

Health Risks Of Diet Soda

• Studies show that drinking diet soda may increase your risk of heart attack and stroke by 44 percent.
• The artificial sweeteners, though calorie-free, make our body crave sugary calories, so drinking diet soda can actually lead to weight gain.
• Although diet plays a major role, a diet soda habit may also be linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

More thought-provoking reasons to cut back on this unhealthy habit at FitSugar…

School Vending Machine Rule Concerns Cranberry Industry

While the USDA is expected to limit sugar sold from school vending machines, cranberry industry officials say the new standards are unfair to their industry, because cranberries must be sweetened due to the fruit’s tartness.

UCLA Study Shows High-Fructose Diet Sabotages Learning And Memory

The average American consumes roughly 47 pounds of cane sugar and 35 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup per year.

How 'Natural' Is Stevia?

It may be sweet and calorie-free, but extracting that flavor from a plant requires serious chemical interventions.