Showing posts with label Sugar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sugar. Show all posts
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Sugary Drink-Related Deaths
Article URL:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2013/03/19/the-top-countries-for-sugary-drink-related-deaths-u-s-ranks-third/
Here's a story, and it underscores two interesting things:
1. That there is a highly undereported obesity epidemic in Mexico that is even greater than what it is in the US (where increasing health awareness appears to be slowly reversing the course);
2. This may surprise some people since it's coming from me, but the bogeyman status of high fructose corn syrup is slightly overrated. Yes, HFCS looks to be worse for the body than regular sugar, but overconsumption of any sugars is bad. Case in point: Mexico does not subsidize corn syrup as a sugar use, which is why Mexican Coke has real sugar in it. Yet the underlying problem is the nation's overconsumption of sugar, not the form it is taken...
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The same but different
Study: Sugar & HFCS Not As Identical As Some Would Have You Believe
By Chris Morran on January 27, 2012
http://consumerist.com/2012/01/study-says-sugar-hfcs-not-as-identical-as-some-would-have-you-believe.html
While the corn industry waits on the FDA to decide whether or not it can have high fructose corn sugar (HFCS) relabeled with the marketing-friendly "corn sugar" label, it continues to push home its assertion that the human body reacts the same, whether the sweetener is HFCS or table sugar. But a new study claims that just isn't the case.
"Although both sweeteners are often considered the same in terms of their biological effects, this study demonstrates that there are subtle differences," says co-author Dr. Richard Johnson of the University of Colorado. "Soft drinks containing HFCS result in slightly higher blood levels of fructose than sucrose-sweetened drinks."
Their study looked at 40 men and women who each consumed 24 ounces of soft drinks sweetened with either HFCS or sucrose. Those who drank the HFCS beverage demonstrated higher levels of uric acid and increased systolic blood pressure.
From the abstract of the study, published in the appropriately titled journal, Metabolism: "Compared with sucrose, HFCS leads to greater fructose systemic exposure and significantly different acute metabolic effects."
While the study shows that there appears to be an immediate difference in how one's body processes the two sweeteners, researchers say that the next step is to study the long-term differences, if any, between sugar and HFCS.
The "corn sugar" name is a topic of dispute between the corn industry and the sugar refiners of the nation. The two parties are currently involved in a lawsuit over the Corn Refiners Association's ad campaign, which Big Sugar called "false and misleading." Big Corn says the lawsuit is an attempt to "stifle free speech."
Meanwhile, it has been reported that some folks at the FDA are none-too-taken by the Corn Sugar campaign, considering that the regulators have yet to rule on the name and already have "corn sugar" on the books as an acceptable name for dextrose.
By Chris Morran on January 27, 2012
http://consumerist.com/2012/01/study-says-sugar-hfcs-not-as-identical-as-some-would-have-you-believe.html
While the corn industry waits on the FDA to decide whether or not it can have high fructose corn sugar (HFCS) relabeled with the marketing-friendly "corn sugar" label, it continues to push home its assertion that the human body reacts the same, whether the sweetener is HFCS or table sugar. But a new study claims that just isn't the case.
"Although both sweeteners are often considered the same in terms of their biological effects, this study demonstrates that there are subtle differences," says co-author Dr. Richard Johnson of the University of Colorado. "Soft drinks containing HFCS result in slightly higher blood levels of fructose than sucrose-sweetened drinks."
Their study looked at 40 men and women who each consumed 24 ounces of soft drinks sweetened with either HFCS or sucrose. Those who drank the HFCS beverage demonstrated higher levels of uric acid and increased systolic blood pressure.
From the abstract of the study, published in the appropriately titled journal, Metabolism: "Compared with sucrose, HFCS leads to greater fructose systemic exposure and significantly different acute metabolic effects."
While the study shows that there appears to be an immediate difference in how one's body processes the two sweeteners, researchers say that the next step is to study the long-term differences, if any, between sugar and HFCS.
The "corn sugar" name is a topic of dispute between the corn industry and the sugar refiners of the nation. The two parties are currently involved in a lawsuit over the Corn Refiners Association's ad campaign, which Big Sugar called "false and misleading." Big Corn says the lawsuit is an attempt to "stifle free speech."
Meanwhile, it has been reported that some folks at the FDA are none-too-taken by the Corn Sugar campaign, considering that the regulators have yet to rule on the name and already have "corn sugar" on the books as an acceptable name for dextrose.
Friday, October 29, 2010
High-fructose corn syrup in soda has much more fructose than advertised
http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-too-much-fructose-in-hfcs-soda-20101026,0,6294691.story
High-fructose corn syrup in soda has much more fructose than advertised, study finds
Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times
October 26, 2010
High-fructose corn syrup is often singled out as Food Enemy No. 1 because it has become ubiquitous in processed foods over about the last 30 – a period that coincides with a steep rise in obesity. One of the primary sources of HFCS in the American diet is soda – in fact, many public health advocates refer to soda as “liquid candy.”
That nickname is more apt than advocates realized, according to a study published online this month by the journal Obesity.
Researchers from the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine went shopping in East Los Angeles and bought 23 cans and bottles of popular beverages. Then they sent them off to a laboratory in Massachusetts that used a technique called high-performance liquid chromatography to determine how much fructose, glucose and sucrose were in each sample. Each beverage was tested three times, and all samples were unlabeled.
Before we get to the results, let’s pause for a quick review on sugars. Fructose and glucose are simple sugars. Fructose is sweeter than glucose and has been shown to do more damage to your metabolism. Sucrose – better known as table sugar – is a 50-50 combination of fructose and glucose. The HFCS used in soda is supposed to contain no more than 55% fructose and 45% glucose, according to the Corn Refiners Assn. (Another popular formulation is 42% fructose and 58% glucose.) This slight difference is the reason why we here at Booster Shots frequently say that HFCS is just as unhealthy as “natural” sugar.
But it turns out that some of the stuff they put in soda isn’t HFCS, it’s RHFCS – Really High Fructose Corn Syrup.
The Keck researchers found that the sweeteners in Coca-Cola and Pepsi contained as much as 65% fructose (and only 35% glucose), and Sprite registered as much as 64% fructose (and 36% glucose).
“The type of sugar listed on the label is not always consistent with the type of sugar detected,” they wrote. “Considering that the average American drinks 50 gallons of soda and other sweetened beverages each year, it is important that we have more precise information regarding what they contain, including a listing of the fructose content.”
To make sure the high-performance liquid chromatography tests were accurate, the researchers also sent samples of pure fructose, pure glucose and pure sucrose. The test detected 9.9 grams of fructose in a 10-gram sample of fructose, 9.8 grams of glucose in a 10-gram sample of glucose, and 9 grams of sucrose in a 10-gram sample of sucrose.
The study included a few other surprises:
Mountain Dew had 13% less sugar than advertised on the label, and Dr. Pepper had 8% less.
Tested samples of Mexican Coca-Cola – which is supposedly made with cane sugar instead of HFCS – contained no sucrose, only fructose and glucose in a 52%-to-48% ratio.
17% of the sweetener in Red Bull was fructose, even though sucrose and glucose are the only sweeteners listed on the label.
We weren’t the only ones surprised by the findings. Here’s what nutritionist Marion Nestle had to say about the study Tuesday on her blog, Food Politics: "I’ve been saying for ages that the sugar composition of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is no different from that of table sugar (sucrose)."
Oops.
Nestle continued: "At most, HFCS is supposed to be 55% fructose, as compared to the 50% in table sugar. Most foods and drinks are supposed to be using HFCS that is 42% fructose. A percentage of 55 is not much different biologically than 50, which is why the assumption has been that there is no biologically meaningful difference between HFCS and table sugar. This study, if confirmed, means that this supposition may need some rethinking."
The USC researchers pointed out that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows for some wiggle room on nutrition labels. Sodas are allowed to have as much as 20% more of a nutrient – including sugar and HFCS – than is indicated on the side of the can. Even Cokes and Pepsis with 65% fructose instead of 55% are only 18% higher than advertised.
High-fructose corn syrup in soda has much more fructose than advertised, study finds
Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times
October 26, 2010
High-fructose corn syrup is often singled out as Food Enemy No. 1 because it has become ubiquitous in processed foods over about the last 30 – a period that coincides with a steep rise in obesity. One of the primary sources of HFCS in the American diet is soda – in fact, many public health advocates refer to soda as “liquid candy.”
That nickname is more apt than advocates realized, according to a study published online this month by the journal Obesity.
Researchers from the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine went shopping in East Los Angeles and bought 23 cans and bottles of popular beverages. Then they sent them off to a laboratory in Massachusetts that used a technique called high-performance liquid chromatography to determine how much fructose, glucose and sucrose were in each sample. Each beverage was tested three times, and all samples were unlabeled.
Before we get to the results, let’s pause for a quick review on sugars. Fructose and glucose are simple sugars. Fructose is sweeter than glucose and has been shown to do more damage to your metabolism. Sucrose – better known as table sugar – is a 50-50 combination of fructose and glucose. The HFCS used in soda is supposed to contain no more than 55% fructose and 45% glucose, according to the Corn Refiners Assn. (Another popular formulation is 42% fructose and 58% glucose.) This slight difference is the reason why we here at Booster Shots frequently say that HFCS is just as unhealthy as “natural” sugar.
But it turns out that some of the stuff they put in soda isn’t HFCS, it’s RHFCS – Really High Fructose Corn Syrup.
The Keck researchers found that the sweeteners in Coca-Cola and Pepsi contained as much as 65% fructose (and only 35% glucose), and Sprite registered as much as 64% fructose (and 36% glucose).
“The type of sugar listed on the label is not always consistent with the type of sugar detected,” they wrote. “Considering that the average American drinks 50 gallons of soda and other sweetened beverages each year, it is important that we have more precise information regarding what they contain, including a listing of the fructose content.”
To make sure the high-performance liquid chromatography tests were accurate, the researchers also sent samples of pure fructose, pure glucose and pure sucrose. The test detected 9.9 grams of fructose in a 10-gram sample of fructose, 9.8 grams of glucose in a 10-gram sample of glucose, and 9 grams of sucrose in a 10-gram sample of sucrose.
The study included a few other surprises:
Mountain Dew had 13% less sugar than advertised on the label, and Dr. Pepper had 8% less.
Tested samples of Mexican Coca-Cola – which is supposedly made with cane sugar instead of HFCS – contained no sucrose, only fructose and glucose in a 52%-to-48% ratio.
17% of the sweetener in Red Bull was fructose, even though sucrose and glucose are the only sweeteners listed on the label.
We weren’t the only ones surprised by the findings. Here’s what nutritionist Marion Nestle had to say about the study Tuesday on her blog, Food Politics: "I’ve been saying for ages that the sugar composition of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is no different from that of table sugar (sucrose)."
Oops.
Nestle continued: "At most, HFCS is supposed to be 55% fructose, as compared to the 50% in table sugar. Most foods and drinks are supposed to be using HFCS that is 42% fructose. A percentage of 55 is not much different biologically than 50, which is why the assumption has been that there is no biologically meaningful difference between HFCS and table sugar. This study, if confirmed, means that this supposition may need some rethinking."
The USC researchers pointed out that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows for some wiggle room on nutrition labels. Sodas are allowed to have as much as 20% more of a nutrient – including sugar and HFCS – than is indicated on the side of the can. Even Cokes and Pepsis with 65% fructose instead of 55% are only 18% higher than advertised.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Azukar Organics' amazing organic coconut sugar
http://www.naturalnews.com/028897_coconut_sugar.html
Azukar Organics' amazing organic coconut sugar
Monday, May 31, 2010
Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) The coconut is a highly versatile food that is loaded with an array of diverse nutrients that result in amazing health benefits. Coconut milk, cream, oil and flour are some of the most common coconut superfoods available on the market. But did you know that a healthy, superior form of sugar can also be obtained from coconuts?
Azukar Organics, a specialty commodities company based out of Los Angeles, produces a delicious, certified organic coconut sugar that is rich in vitamins and minerals and is safe for diabetics. The company claims that its coconut sugar actually helps people who use it to manage proper weight and maintain proper insulin levels. Even those with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can safely use coconut sugar in moderation.
When I first stumbled across Azukar's coconut sugar, it piqued my interest because it was the first time I had ever heard of coconut-derived sugar. Though common in East Asia, it is fairly new to the Western world, so naturally I was curious about it. How is coconut sugar different from other kinds of sugar? How does it compare to other natural, low-glycemic sweeteners?
Many people are probably familiar with sweeteners like agave syrup and stevia, which are two of the more popular low-glycemic sweeteners used by health-conscious individuals. Stevia is great, but it seems to work best in beverages rather than in solid foods and baked goods. And agave syrup has taken a lot of heat lately for having a very high fructose level and for not necessarily being all that healthy, depending on how it is extracted and processed. But rather than put down these other two sweeteners, which I happen to believe are both excellent alternatives to conventional refined sugar, I would like to add a third contender into the mix that is one of my new favorites.
When I first tasted Azukar's coconut sugar, I was impressed by its complex and rich flavor. Its color is similar to some lighter brown sugars, but the crystals are larger and the flavor is much more elaborate. It is unlike any other sugar I have ever tasted, and in the best possible way.
I just so happened to taste Azukar's coconut sugar in some delicious organic, gluten-free coconut brownies that the company made with its organic coconut flour, coconut sugar and cacao. It was a deliciously healthy sweet treat that deserves an article of its own! But the way the coconut sugar mingled ever-so-gently with the other flavors really sets it apart from other sweeteners. There are no strange flavors or aftertastes, and no spike in blood sugar levels. And I am not exaggerating when I say that they were the most delicious brownies I have ever tasted.
Which brings up another interesting point about coconut sugar: when used in proper amounts, it does not over-sweeten foods, but rather perks them up while highlighting its own unique flavor and the flavor of the food. More often than not, baked goods are over-sweetened with conventional sugar that is not only simple in taste but very unhealthy. Coconut sugar is a welcomed, more subtle alternative.
Coconut sugar has long been a staple in East Asia where it is extracted from the sap of coconut flower buds. And when compared to brown cane sugar, coconut sugar contains more than 20 times the amount of nitrogen, 26 times the amount of phosphorus, nearly 16 times the amount of potassium, four times the amount of magnesium, 26 times the amount of natural chloride, and nearly twice the amount of iron. It is also very high in natural B vitamins.
Coconut sugar is also one of the most sustainable sweeteners in the world. Coconut palms, which are different from the type used to make palm oil, produce up to 75 percent more sugar per acre than does sugar cane. Coconut palms are also considered to be the "tree of life" by many because they can produce over 100 different products and they work well for small farmers who are able to make livelihoods because of them.
Naturally, excessive sugar intake should be avoided since too much of any form can lead to bad health, but when you are making something with sugar and want to use the healthiest form, coconut sugar is a great option and Azukar Organics is a great brand.
To learn more about Azukar Organics and its line of coconut products, please visit http://www.azukarorganics.com/.
Azukar Organics' amazing organic coconut sugar
Monday, May 31, 2010
Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) The coconut is a highly versatile food that is loaded with an array of diverse nutrients that result in amazing health benefits. Coconut milk, cream, oil and flour are some of the most common coconut superfoods available on the market. But did you know that a healthy, superior form of sugar can also be obtained from coconuts?
Azukar Organics, a specialty commodities company based out of Los Angeles, produces a delicious, certified organic coconut sugar that is rich in vitamins and minerals and is safe for diabetics. The company claims that its coconut sugar actually helps people who use it to manage proper weight and maintain proper insulin levels. Even those with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can safely use coconut sugar in moderation.
When I first stumbled across Azukar's coconut sugar, it piqued my interest because it was the first time I had ever heard of coconut-derived sugar. Though common in East Asia, it is fairly new to the Western world, so naturally I was curious about it. How is coconut sugar different from other kinds of sugar? How does it compare to other natural, low-glycemic sweeteners?
Many people are probably familiar with sweeteners like agave syrup and stevia, which are two of the more popular low-glycemic sweeteners used by health-conscious individuals. Stevia is great, but it seems to work best in beverages rather than in solid foods and baked goods. And agave syrup has taken a lot of heat lately for having a very high fructose level and for not necessarily being all that healthy, depending on how it is extracted and processed. But rather than put down these other two sweeteners, which I happen to believe are both excellent alternatives to conventional refined sugar, I would like to add a third contender into the mix that is one of my new favorites.
When I first tasted Azukar's coconut sugar, I was impressed by its complex and rich flavor. Its color is similar to some lighter brown sugars, but the crystals are larger and the flavor is much more elaborate. It is unlike any other sugar I have ever tasted, and in the best possible way.
I just so happened to taste Azukar's coconut sugar in some delicious organic, gluten-free coconut brownies that the company made with its organic coconut flour, coconut sugar and cacao. It was a deliciously healthy sweet treat that deserves an article of its own! But the way the coconut sugar mingled ever-so-gently with the other flavors really sets it apart from other sweeteners. There are no strange flavors or aftertastes, and no spike in blood sugar levels. And I am not exaggerating when I say that they were the most delicious brownies I have ever tasted.
Which brings up another interesting point about coconut sugar: when used in proper amounts, it does not over-sweeten foods, but rather perks them up while highlighting its own unique flavor and the flavor of the food. More often than not, baked goods are over-sweetened with conventional sugar that is not only simple in taste but very unhealthy. Coconut sugar is a welcomed, more subtle alternative.
Coconut sugar has long been a staple in East Asia where it is extracted from the sap of coconut flower buds. And when compared to brown cane sugar, coconut sugar contains more than 20 times the amount of nitrogen, 26 times the amount of phosphorus, nearly 16 times the amount of potassium, four times the amount of magnesium, 26 times the amount of natural chloride, and nearly twice the amount of iron. It is also very high in natural B vitamins.
Coconut sugar is also one of the most sustainable sweeteners in the world. Coconut palms, which are different from the type used to make palm oil, produce up to 75 percent more sugar per acre than does sugar cane. Coconut palms are also considered to be the "tree of life" by many because they can produce over 100 different products and they work well for small farmers who are able to make livelihoods because of them.
Naturally, excessive sugar intake should be avoided since too much of any form can lead to bad health, but when you are making something with sugar and want to use the healthiest form, coconut sugar is a great option and Azukar Organics is a great brand.
To learn more about Azukar Organics and its line of coconut products, please visit http://www.azukarorganics.com/.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sugar Makes A Comeback
http://www.retroland.com/retroblog/food/sugar-makes-a-comeback/Sugar Makes A Comeback
By Eric
Jan 17, 2010
Are you one of those soda purists who curse the day when their favorite beverage switched from heavenly sugar to that sorry substitute – the evil high-fructose corn syrup? Do you find yourself scanning each new store you enter to see if maybe, just maybe, they carry Coca-Cola in the tall glass bottles, the ones manufactured in Mexico that still contain sucrose?
Realizing that a sizable portion of the soda-buying public yearns for a return to sugar in their soft drinks, the folks over at Pepsi went all retro on us, introducing “Throwback” versions of both Pepsi and Mountain Dew. Packaged in cans that look just like the ones you remember from yesteryear, these products are available for a limited time – until February 22, according to the company website.
At Retroland, we want to know how you feel about the return of these sucrose-laden soft drinks. Have you tried them, and if so, what did you think? Share your thoughts on these retro-sodas with all of us at Retroland. Meanwhile, some of us will be anxiously waiting to see if Coke jumps on the bandwagon, so that one needn’t travel too far to, once again, experience “The Real Thing.”
Sunday, August 23, 2009
I am a (Mexican) Coke Fiend
http://www.dangerousminds.net/index.php/site/comments/i_am_a_mexican_coke_fiend/I am a (Mexican) Coke Fiend
08.13.2009
Richard Metzger
Okay, I’ll admit it… I’ve got a new vice and it’s a little on the embarrassing side. You see, I’ve turned into a real Coke fiend. Not cocaine, oh no, I went through that phase years ago, I mean THE REAL THING... Mexican Coca-Cola! That’s right kids, Mexican Coke is different from (most) domestic variants of the world’s most popular soft drink. In Mexican they use real sugar cane—none of this high fructose corn syrup shit south of the border—and it is SO FREAKING DELICIOUS.
Mind you, I say this as someone who has NEVER liked soda and never drank it at all (I could go years without drinking a single carbonated beverage, it’s true), but man I just cannot get enough this this stuff. It happened one day when a friend was visiting. We walked around the corner to the local bodega and my friend noticed that they had the classic glass Coke bottles with the stickers on them—“YES!”—he cried out “They’ve got Mexican Coke here!” We bought two, drank them, then went straight back and bought two more. That was a year ago and now I drink them all the time (so does my wife, another lifelong soda hater, now similarly addicted to the “Mexican brown”—as we Mexican Coke fiends call our favorite tipple).
I’ve got it easy, after all I live in Los Angeles where Mexican Coke is plentiful and cheap. Here’s some info from the A Continuous Lean blog about where you can “score” some Mexican Coke in your locale:
How do you get your hands on some of this tasty Mexican Coke? If you live in New York there are a few options. Bodegas in places like Sunset Park, Washington Heights, etc. often stock Mexican Coca-Cola as well as other versions of Coke from South American countries. The beverage store New-Beer on the Lower East Side will occasionally sell the real-deal sugar cane Coke. If you live in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico or California Costco sells Mexican Coke by the case. I have my friend Kate from Texas bring me four bottles at a time. Hope she doesn’t read this and see that I could get my Coke on the LES. Wait, that doesn’t sound right….
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Pepsi Products Get a Sweet Makeover
http://food.aol.com/new-pepsiPepsi Products Get a Sweet Makeover with Real Sugar
Pepsi announces a trio of additions to their product lines
by Kat Kinsman
Members of the original Pepsi Generation are about to get a sweet trip down memory lane. The company announced on Thursday that three new "retro" sodas will be hitting beverage aisles beginning in March and April.
Frank Cooper, a VP for Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages announced via the company's website, "Pepsi Natural and the Throwback duo (Pepsi and Mountain Dew) give consumers the opportunity to refresh how they experience soft drinks."
The big difference? Packaging and sweetener. Pepsi Natural, touted as a "premium" cola, replaces the brand's standard sweetener -- high fructose corn syrup -- with natural cane and beet sugar, shaving four grams of sugar per 12-ounce serving. Pepsi's website also touted lightly sparkling water, natural caramel, kola nut extract, natural apple extract and a light, amber color as hallmarks of its revamped formula.
Two more brand extensions, Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback, will be available for a limited time only. These soft drinks are also sugar-sweetened and packaged with an old school design, inspired by the '60s and '70s. Both will be nationally available beginning April 20th, for a limited run of eight weeks.
High fructose corn syrup has come under fire from opponents who claim that the substance -- chemically identical to sugar -- promotes obesity, though no scientific causality has been found. HFCS became popular with manufacturers in the 1980s as an alternative to cane sugar, which generally costs twice as much. Sugar sweetened Pepsi products, indicated by a white cap, are available in the United States during Passover, as the consumption of corn is forbidden under Kosher law during that time period.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Study Suggests Sugar May Be Addictive
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/12/10/study-suggests-sugar-may-be-addictive.html
Study Suggests Sugar May Be Addictive
Finding might yield new insights into eating disorders, experts say
Posted December 10, 2008
By Amanda Gardner
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Science is verifying what many overeaters have suspected for a long time: sugar can be addictive.
In fact, the sweetener seems to prompt the same chemical changes in the brain seen in people who abuse drugs such as cocaine and heroin.
The findings were to be presented Wednesday at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology's annual meeting, in Nashville.
"Our evidence from an animal model suggests that bingeing on sugar can act in the brain in ways very similar to drugs of abuse," lead researcher Bart Hoebel, a professor of psychology at Princeton University, said during a Dec. 4 teleconference.
"Drinking large amounts of sugar water when hungry can cause behavioral changes and even neurochemical changes in the brain which resemble changes that are produced when animals or people take substances of abuse. These animals show signs of withdrawal and even long-lasting effects that might resemble craving," he said.
Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, added: "The big question has been whether it's just a behavioral thing or is it a metabolic chemical thing, and evidence like this supports the idea that something chemical is going on."
A "sugar addiction" may even act as a "gateway" to later abuse of drugs such as alcohol, Hoebel said.
The stages of addiction, as defined by the American Psychiatric Association, include bingeing, withdrawal and craving.
For the new research, rats were denied food for 12 hours a day, then were given access to food and sugar (25 percent glucose and 10 percent sucrose, similar to a soft drink) for 12 hours a day, for three to four weeks.
The bingeing released a surge of the neurotransmitter dopamine each time in the part of the brain involved in reward, the nucleus accumbens. "It's been known that drugs of abuse release or increase the levels of dopamine in that part of the brain," Hoebel said.
But it wasn't only the sugar that caused this effect, Hoebel explained -- it was the sugar combined with the alternating schedule of deprivation and largesse. After three weeks, the rats showed signs of withdrawal similar to those seen when people stop smoking or drinking alcohol or using morphine.
The scientists next blocked the animals' brain endorphins and found withdrawal symptoms, anxiety, behavioral depression and a drop in dopamine levels. In other words, they confirmed a neurochemical link with the rats' behavior.
But longer periods of abstinence didn't "cure" the rats. Instead, there were long-lasting effects with the animals: They ingested more sugar than before, as if they were craving the substance and, without sugar, they drank more alcohol.
The researchers speculated that some of these brain changes may also occur in people with eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia, although more research needs to be done to confirm the effects in humans.
"Some say it's easy to lose weight -- you just have to shut your mouth, stop eating so much," Aronne said. "I tell them a good way to overcome global warming is if people made less carbon dioxide by breathing less. Obviously, that's absurd. You can't do it because you feel uncomfortable.
"The same thing is true of eating," he added. "Fattening food has an impact on the regulating mechanism that breaks down your sense of fullness, makes you feel an urge to go back and get that blast of sugar and this creates the vicious cycle of weight gain that we're going through."
Study Suggests Sugar May Be Addictive
Finding might yield new insights into eating disorders, experts say
Posted December 10, 2008
By Amanda Gardner
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Science is verifying what many overeaters have suspected for a long time: sugar can be addictive.
In fact, the sweetener seems to prompt the same chemical changes in the brain seen in people who abuse drugs such as cocaine and heroin.
The findings were to be presented Wednesday at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology's annual meeting, in Nashville.
"Our evidence from an animal model suggests that bingeing on sugar can act in the brain in ways very similar to drugs of abuse," lead researcher Bart Hoebel, a professor of psychology at Princeton University, said during a Dec. 4 teleconference.
"Drinking large amounts of sugar water when hungry can cause behavioral changes and even neurochemical changes in the brain which resemble changes that are produced when animals or people take substances of abuse. These animals show signs of withdrawal and even long-lasting effects that might resemble craving," he said.
Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, added: "The big question has been whether it's just a behavioral thing or is it a metabolic chemical thing, and evidence like this supports the idea that something chemical is going on."
A "sugar addiction" may even act as a "gateway" to later abuse of drugs such as alcohol, Hoebel said.
The stages of addiction, as defined by the American Psychiatric Association, include bingeing, withdrawal and craving.
For the new research, rats were denied food for 12 hours a day, then were given access to food and sugar (25 percent glucose and 10 percent sucrose, similar to a soft drink) for 12 hours a day, for three to four weeks.
The bingeing released a surge of the neurotransmitter dopamine each time in the part of the brain involved in reward, the nucleus accumbens. "It's been known that drugs of abuse release or increase the levels of dopamine in that part of the brain," Hoebel said.
But it wasn't only the sugar that caused this effect, Hoebel explained -- it was the sugar combined with the alternating schedule of deprivation and largesse. After three weeks, the rats showed signs of withdrawal similar to those seen when people stop smoking or drinking alcohol or using morphine.
The scientists next blocked the animals' brain endorphins and found withdrawal symptoms, anxiety, behavioral depression and a drop in dopamine levels. In other words, they confirmed a neurochemical link with the rats' behavior.
But longer periods of abstinence didn't "cure" the rats. Instead, there were long-lasting effects with the animals: They ingested more sugar than before, as if they were craving the substance and, without sugar, they drank more alcohol.
The researchers speculated that some of these brain changes may also occur in people with eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia, although more research needs to be done to confirm the effects in humans.
"Some say it's easy to lose weight -- you just have to shut your mouth, stop eating so much," Aronne said. "I tell them a good way to overcome global warming is if people made less carbon dioxide by breathing less. Obviously, that's absurd. You can't do it because you feel uncomfortable.
"The same thing is true of eating," he added. "Fattening food has an impact on the regulating mechanism that breaks down your sense of fullness, makes you feel an urge to go back and get that blast of sugar and this creates the vicious cycle of weight gain that we're going through."
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