Why salt and sugar are called white death. Do you believe in horror stories

Why are salt and sugar called "white death"?

The worst effect of sugar is that it steals our vital nutrients. It depletes calcium and other minerals, depletes protein and absorbs important nutrients such as vitamin B1, which leads to the spread of caries, causes osteoporosis - the painful destruction of bones; is one of true reasons rickets. Even the poorest people buy sweet food and then complain about the lack of money. This is at the same time a loss of money and a loss of nutrients, but the damage to the body is much greater.

With excess sugar and insufficient protein, people's bodies become lethargic, saggy, fatigue, weight loss, sluggishness, and all the above symptoms appear. It looks like a lack of nutrition. Many types of atrophy - muscle atrophy, sclerosis, arthritis, etc. - are related to excessive sugar intake. These are actually degenerative diseases.

The negative effect of sugar on blood clotting + protein depletion + lack of calcium and salt gives rise to hemophilia and other bleeding diseases.

Heart disease is caused by a combination of sugar and animal fats, which are deposited on the arteries as the substance of cholesterol.

Two types of bodies, obese and lean, can be the result of high sugar intake. With sufficient protein intake and plenty of sugar, this creates an obese body. Lack of protein and a lot of sugar - the body becomes thin, loses nutrients and weight. Thin people for this reason are predisposed to respiratory infections such as colds, influenza, tuberculosis and pneumonia.

Doctors from the London Medical Research Council found that sugar partially alters the bacteria on the lining of the inner walls of the intestines. This leads to the breakdown of bile salts and the formation of material that can cause cancer.

Why do some people call salt white death, while others start eating only after pouring all the contents of the salt shaker onto it? The truth, as usual, lies in the middle.

Table salt (NaCl) contains sodium, which is necessary for the life of the body. But the need for it is small - about 1 g per day, and the body safely receives this dose with food. Even completely giving up salt, a person does not risk earning a sodium deficiency in the body. The exception is life in a hot climate and large physical exercise when it goes increased sweating. In such cases, the need for sodium increases, because thanks to it, the tissues retain water. Under other conditions, the same ability can play a cruel joke with a salty lover. Excess salt overloads the kidneys and promotes growth blood pressure. And every extra millimeter of mercury (plus gold 120/80) increases the risk of a stroke or heart attack.

Many doctors recommend reducing salt intake to their patients. But for sure, a strict salt-free diet is necessary for heart failure, nephrosis and nephritis (the kidneys cannot cope with the load, they do not have time to remove excess salt from the body - and edema appears).

What should be healthy? In addition to natural (that is, coming with food) 0.8 g of sodium, without harm to health, you can consume another 3.2 g of Na - or 8 g of table salt. A whole teaspoon daily is at your disposal.

Few of us can imagine life without sugar. A spoonful of sweet sand in morning coffee, a pinch of powdered sugar on a bun, a couple of pieces of refined sugar for evening tea - sweetening dishes and drinks has long and firmly entered our everyday life, so even the very idea of ​​eliminating sugar from consumption seems amazing.

Is it possible to not eat sugar at all? It turns out that many experts who care about our health have accumulated a whole list of accusations against sugar, and they call, if not for the absolute rejection of its consumption, then at least for a significant reduction in the content in the daily menu. Why is sugar bad? And why is he dangerous?

Harm of sugar: a word to chemists

From the point of view of a chemist, the sweet sugar product we are used to is called sucrose and is a disaccharide, that is, a carbohydrate whose molecules consist of two parts - glucose and fructose. In nature, glucose and fructose are often found in fruits and berries, these monosaccharides are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and are easily absorbed by the body. But sucrose, getting into the intestines, must first be broken down into glucose and fructose before the body can absorb it.

The more sucrose enters the intestines, the slower it breaks down and the more often undigested carbohydrates remain, preventing the normal functioning of the body.

The harm of sugar: a word to doctors

Endocrinologists are the loudest talk about the dangers of sugar for human health. According to their observations, undigested and incompletely split sucrose molecules enter the bloodstream and irritate the pancreas. It is this gland that produces the hormone insulin, which regulates the absorption of carbohydrates and their distribution to the liver, muscles, and fat reserves. Frequent irritation of the pancreas with sucrose leads to metabolic disorders and malfunctions of many organs and systems.

From the point of view of cardiologists, an increased concentration of sucrose in the blood disrupts the permeability of the walls of the arteries, provokes thrombosis, the deposition of cholesterol plaques and the rapid development of atherosclerosis.

According to neurologists, sucrose, splitting in the intestine, reduces the ability of intestinal microorganisms to produce B vitamins. But it is these vitamins that have a huge impact on the work nervous system human and increase the body's defenses.

Gastroenterologists blame sucrose for disrupting intestinal metabolism and causing chronic constipation.

Dentists also have many complaints about sugar, since sucrose has a high ability to combine with calcium molecules, preventing it from penetrating through cell membranes. As a result, calcium metabolism is disturbed, tooth enamel weakened and destroyed, and we are increasingly turning to doctors with problems of dental caries.

Harm of sugar: a word to nutritionists

Nutritionists are sounding the alarm - the love of sugar-based sweets very quickly turns into excess weight, especially after 30 years, when organs and tissues are more and more slowly wasting the calories entering the body. But excess weight is not only an aesthetic problem, but also an excessive load on the heart, blood vessels, joints, which is fraught with the occurrence of varicose veins, arthrosis and heart failure.

In addition, nutritionists remind that sugar and confectionery, in which it is added, belong to the so-called fast carbohydrates, which are vigorously processed by the body and instantly increase blood glucose levels, creating a feeling of satiety and a burst of energy. However, very soon this level of glucose begins to drop rapidly, and we again feel hungry, trying to seize it with a new portion of sugar-containing foods. At the same time, excess reserves of carbohydrates are created, which are transferred by the body to the reserve, and we complain about weight gain.

The harm of sugar: a word to cosmetologists

Excessive intake of sucrose disrupts the synthesis in the body of riboflavin, folic and pantothenic acids, other vitamins and minerals, due to which the hair becomes dull and brittle, the nails exfoliate, and the skin on the face flakes and loses elasticity.

According to cosmetologists, excessive consumption of carbohydrates, in particular sucrose, increases the secretion of sebum, provoking exacerbation of seborrhea, dermatitis and acne.

The harm of sugar: the final word of the prosecution

The biggest claims about harmfulness are made to refined white sugar. According to scientists, in the process of processing and cleaning beet raw materials, from which we then get a sweet snow-white product, dozens of the most valuable chemical and biological active elements are lost, which could greatly facilitate the absorption of sucrose, and instead we get only excess calories and an excessive load on organism.

Scientists are much more favorable to brown sugar, which owes its color to the unrefined remains of valuable minerals, organic acids and pectin substances. Although brown sugar is also quite high in calories, its absorption is easier, and therefore it does not greatly affect the appearance of excess weight.

AT different countries(Japan, Russia, India) experiments are being carried out to enrich white refined sugar with extracts of echinacea, Schisandra chinensis and others medicinal plants. However, the so-called "yellow sugar" has not yet received wide distribution.

What kind of sugar to choose and how much to eat - everyone decides individually. Calls to completely cut sugar consumption and return to the diet of our ancestors, who received carbohydrates from honey and processed fruits, do not seem too realistic. Probably the easiest way to reduce the harmful effects of sugar is to consume it in moderation.

Salt is white death, and sugar is sweet. So says endocrinologist, MD, author of several books on the problem of obesity, and popular lectures ("Sugar: the bitter truth", "Fat chance: fructose 2.0") Robert Lustig (Robert Lustig). In his opinion, manufacturers add sugar to all products, even "healthy" ones, which can lead to disaster. Why? Dr. Lustig's answer is under the cut. Sugar leads to obesity 13% of the calories consumed by the average American every day are sugar. 22 teaspoons per day (if you add up all the sucrose consumed during the day through food). At a rate of 6 for women and 9 for men. But blaming the food industry for your extra pounds is stupid. According to Lustig, the person chooses how to dress the salad - sweet sauce or olive oil. Sugar fools our brain Sucrose consists of two monosaccharides - glucose and fructose. The latter increases the body's resistance to the hunger hormone (leptin). Usually a person loses control over his appetite when eating high-calorie foods. But studies have shown that fructose also deceives our brain. Leptin regulates the body's energy metabolism and tells the brain: "I'm full." Fructose prevents leptin from reaching the brain and creates a feeling of unsatisfaction. Sugar - the catalyst for aging According to Dr. Lustig, sugar makes a significant contribution to the aging process, since fructose, which makes up 50% of the sucrose molecule, releases oxygen radicals, which, in turn, accelerate the rate of growth and death of cells, and also contribute to the development chronic diseases (diabetes 2 types, cardiovascular and other diseases). At the same time, Lustig warns that sugar, and with it old age, “hides”, sometimes, in unexpected products. For example, ketchup and tomato paste. Sugar - "rusts" our body When sugar interacts with proteins, the so-called Maillard reaction occurs in the body. Under normal conditions, the rate of this reaction is so slow that its products have time to leave. However, the higher the blood sugar level, the faster the reaction rate. Accumulating, the reaction products lead to numerous disturbances in the body. In particular, the accumulation of some late products of the Maillard reaction provokes age-related changes in tissues. Literally - they "rust". According to Lustig, the habit of indulging in something sweet supports and accelerates this process. Sugar leads to accumulation of fat in the liver Hepatic steatosis is a metabolic disorder in which fat accumulates in the liver cells. One of the main causes of steatosis is an unbalanced diet. When you consume too much sugar, your liver can't process it. The pancreas tries to come to the rescue and starts producing additional insulin. This is the so-called non-alcoholic steatosis (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). A study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who consume 1,000 extra calories a day from sweets are only 2% overweight, but 27% have liver fat. Sugar is the "drug" Dopamine is the "hormone of desire". It is an important part of the “reward system” of the brain. Dopamine causes a feeling of pleasure when we have sex or eat Tasty food. Psychologically, dopamine is our motivator. If a person’s production of this hormone is disrupted, he doesn’t want anything, he doesn’t get satisfaction from anything. Sugar promotes the production of dopamine. At the same time, the body gradually sits down on a sweet “needle” and requires ever larger doses, otherwise pleasure does not occur. Sugar - arterial killer Endothelium - these are the cells that line the inner surface of the blood and lymphatic vessels, as well as cardiac cavities. The endothelium performs a number of important functions: control of blood clotting, regulation of blood pressure, and others. The endothelium is susceptible to chemical damage, which in turn can be caused by sugar. Rather, it contains glucose. It "sticks" to the walls of blood vessels, oxidizing and destroying the endothelium. According to Lustig, sugar is found even in meat bought in the store in a semi-cooked form. To keep himself healthy and warn himself against excessive consumption of sugar, he recommends: do not buy processed foods; read labels carefully; eat natural (Organic) products; buy yogurts with a sugar content of no more than 10 grams (for example, Greek); replace lemonade with natural juices. How much sugar do you consume per day?

American biologists propose to equate sugar and sweeteners mixture based fructose and glucose to alcohol and, since the abuse of sweets causes most of the list of chronic diseases and syndromes that are associated with alcoholism

Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis of California State University San Francisco (USA) on the management of sugar and other sweet substances in a review article in the journal Nature. The authors of the article argue that the constant overeating of sweets causes the same Negative consequences as well as alcohol abuse. To prove their point, they compare sugar and alcohol according to four criteria that have previously been used to describe the harm of alcohol.

Sugar (Sucrose)

C 12 H 22 O 11, or beet sugar, cane sugar, in everyday life just sugar - a disaccharide from the group of oligosaccharides, consisting of two monosaccharides - α-glucose and β-fructose.

sucrose is a very common disaccharide in nature, it is found in many fruits, fruits and berries. The content of sucrose is especially high in sugar beet and sugar cane, which are used for the industrial production of edible sugar.

World production in 1990 - 110,000,000 tons

Aspartame

Aspartame- sweetener, sugar substitute ( food supplement E951 ). L-Aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl breaks down in the human body into methanol and two proteinogenic amino acids: aspartic and phenylalanine.

Aspartame about 160-200 times sweeter than sugar, odorless, soluble in water. Although this sweetener, like carbohydrates and proteins, has a calorie content of 4 kcal / g, a small amount is needed to create a sweet taste. aspartame, so its contribution to the calorie content of food is not taken into account. Compared to sugar, the taste sensation of sweetness from aspartame appears more slowly and stays longer. When heated aspartame breaks down and is therefore unsuitable for sweetening heat-treated foods.

Consumption of foods containing amino acids phenylalanine contraindicated in people with a hereditary disease phenylketonuria, so in many countries, including Russia, products containing aspartame must have a warning " Contains a source of phenylalanine ».

In animals fed aspartame, there was a clear trend towards different types malignant diseases, including lymphomas, leukemias and multiple tumors of various organs. Scientists suggest that one of the metabolites is to blame aspartame- methanol, which in the process of metabolism turns into formaldehyde. According to the researchers, both are potential carcinogens.

In their analysis of the effects of phenylalanine, the authors detail the substance's ability to disrupt brain chemistry, including its ability to lower levels of key brain chemicals such as serotonin (which can adversely affect various areas including mood, behavior, sleep and appetite). The authors also point out that phenylalanine also has the ability to disrupt amino acid metabolism, nerve function, and hormonal balance in the body. They claim that aspartame capable of destroying nerve cells and this can in turn cause Alzheimer's disease.

There is an opinion that aspartame dangerous for diabetics. Retinopathy in diabetics can occur due to poisoning aspartame. Aspartame contributes to the fact that the level of sugar in the blood becomes uncontrollable. At a conference of the American College of Physicians, there were reports, not supported by the facts, that the transition of a diabetic from saccharin to products containing aspartame, led, ultimately, to the development of coma.

Non-nutritive sugar substitute - aspartame in solution - stimulates appetite: “After taking aspartame, the subjects continued to feel a residual feeling of hunger, in contrast to the intake of glucose. This feeling is functional, it leads to increased food intake. A strong feeling of hunger can last up to an hour and a half after taking artificial sweeteners.

Cyclamate

Sodium cyclamate A sweetener, a petroleum-based synthetic substance used to impart a sweet taste. Sodium cyclamate is 30-50 times sweeter than sugar. Widely used for sweetening foods, drinks, medicines.

It is not absorbed by the body and is excreted in the urine. A safe daily dose is 10 mg per 1 kg of body weight.

Sodium cyclamate increases cancer risk according to studies Bladder in rats, but epidemiological data do not support a similar risk in humans.

Sodium cyclamate registered as food supplement E952 , is allowed in more than 55 countries (including the countries of the European Union). Sodium cyclamate was banned in the United States in 1969, the issue of lifting the ban is currently being considered.

Also, some people have bacteria in their intestines that can process sodium cyclamate with the formation of metabolites that are conditionally teratogenic, so it prohibited for pregnant women(especially in the first 2-3 weeks of pregnancy)

Saccharin

Ortho-sulfobenzoic acid imide, 2-sulfobenzoic acid imide, ortho-sulfobenzimide are colorless crystals of sweet taste, slightly soluble in water. Marketed "saccharin" is a crystalline hydrate sodium salt, which is 300-500 times sweeter than sugar. Saccharin is not absorbed by the body (it is excreted in the urine).

Saccharin used instead of sugar in diabetes, as well as a substitute for sugar. In the food industry, saccharin is registered as food additive E954 as a sweetener. Like other sweeteners, saccharin has no nutritional properties and is a typical xenobiotic.

Saccharin weakens the work of digestive enzymes and reveals bactericidal properties that are superior in strength to phenol and salicylic acid taken in the same doses.

Saccharin negatively affects the absorption of biotin, inhibiting the intestinal microflora, prevents its synthesis. Therefore, the systematic use of saccharin together with sugar is a risk factor. occurrence of hyperglycemia. Causal chain: (regular consumption of saccharin with sugar) → (impaired absorption of biotin + inhibition of synthesis) → (biotin-avitaminosis) → (decrease in the synthesis of glucokinase in the body) → (Hyperglycemia).

Saccharin approved by the Joint expert commission on food additives (JECFA) of the World Health Organization and the Scientific Committee on Food Products of the European Union, is allowed in more than 90 countries (including Russia). JECFA recommends an allowable daily dose of 5 mg per 1 kg of human body weight. It is believed that if this dose is observed, the product does not pose a health hazard.

Current food use saccharin greatly reduced, although sweeteners are produced on saccharine (Sukrazit), and mixtures of sweeteners are used in drinks and some other products, since when used on its own it gives a not very pleasant metallic aftertaste.

Fructose

Aarabino-hexulose, levulose, fruit sugar - monosaccharide - ketohexose, only the D-isomer is present in living organisms - in free form in almost all sweet berries and fruits, as a monosaccharide unit it is part of sucrose and lactulose.

For centuries, the Guarani Indians in what is now Brazil and Paraguay have eaten certain types of stevia, especially Stevia rebaudiana which they called ka'a he'ê("sweet herb") as a sweetener for mate and other medicinal teas, to treat heartburn and other ailments.

Recently, stevia has been revisited as a sweetener increased attention due to the increased need for a low-carbohydrate and low-sugar diet. As a sweetener, it is widely used in Japan, and in the USA and Canada it is used as food supplement. Medical studies have also shown good results with the use of stevia for the treatment of obesity and hypertension.

Extracts called steviosides steviosides) and rebaudiosides (eng. rebaudiosides), turned out to be 250-300 times sweeter than sucrose. Feeling sweet for stevia comes slower than regular sugar, but lasts longer. However, especially at high concentrations, it may have a bitter aftertaste or liquorice residue. does not significantly affect the amount of glucose in the blood and for this reason is indicated for diabetics and other carbohydrate diets.

40% of the total market stevia Japan accounts for more than anywhere else.

In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a comprehensive assessment of recent experimental studies stevioside and steviol, carried out on animals and humans, and concluded that « steviosides and rebaudiosides A are non-genotoxic in laboratory conditions and on a living organism;» . The report also found no evidence of carcinogenicity of the product. Further, the report indicated that « stevioside demonstrated evidence pharmacological effect in patients with hypertension or type 2 diabetes» and that further research should determine the appropriate dosage of the substance.

What do we have in the dry residue of harmless sweets? Fructose and .

Fructose I found it in the nearest store, but not yet ...

The problem of nutrition and healthy lifestyle life is facing humanity in full growth, and against this background, large-scale campaigns are unfolding to ban or limit the use of alcohol and tobacco. Now sugar is added to this list, the consumption of which has increased three (!) times over the past 50 years. Research recent years show the negative effects of excessive consumption of sweeteners (mainly in food), and especially fructose stands out here, traditionally considered beneficial and even dietary product.

- Salt is white death.
- I thought sugar was white death.
- Sugar is a sweet death. Bread is a poison.
- And now I would have poisoned myself with pink salmon ...
From the movie "Love and Doves"

In September 2011, the United Nations (UN) announced (for the umpteenth time) that the world has experienced a significant increase in mortality due to chronic non-communicable diseases. Diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes, cancer - all this is the cause of 35 million deaths annually. Obesity is a separate problem: today there are 30% more overweight people on the planet than those who are starving! In any country that has embarked on the path of fast food - an integral part of the "Western diet" - the number of people suffering from obesity and related diseases is inevitably increasing.

Most people are convinced that obesity is the root cause of these diseases. However, 20% of obese people have a perfectly normal metabolism and have every chance of living a long and even happy life. At the same time, 40% of people with normal weight develop diseases of the metabolic syndrome: diabetes, hypertension, fat balance problems, diseases of the cardiovascular system and liver. So obesity is not a cause, but rather a consequence (and an important indicator!) of metabolic disorders in the body.

The UN states that the main risk factors for noncommunicable diseases are tobacco, alcohol and diet. Two reasons out of three - tobacco and alcohol - the governments of most countries are tight or not very, but controlling. However, it is unlikely that even the most formidable dictator can legally order all citizens to eat right. And here, perhaps, health authorities are missing the main cause of declining health around the world. Approaching the problem of proper nutrition is very difficult; food is vital for us, but we use tobacco and alcohol for pleasure and in much smaller quantities (at least most of us). It becomes fundamentally important to answer the question - what is the most wrong thing in the "Western diet"?

In October 2011, Denmark introduced a tax on excess fatty foods nutrition. However, this measure did not become effective - now the law has been canceled because it had a negative impact on local businesses. Now in Denmark they are considering a duty on sugar - after all, sweeteners based on glucose and fructose are used in a huge number of products. Over the past 50 years, world sugar consumption has tripled. In the US, one of the most common sweeteners is high fructose corn syrup, which is made by adding fructose to corn syrup that contains predominantly glucose. In most other countries, preference is given to natural sucrose, which also contains glucose and fructose in equal proportions.

Sugar is considered to be “empty calories”, but it turns out that they are not so empty after all. There is growing evidence that fructose can lead to liver toxicity and other chronic diseases. In small amounts it is not dangerous and does not cause any problems, however, in the amounts consumed today, fructose can cause a number of side effects(see table) . If a international organizations and really concerned about people's health, it's time to limit the use of fructose and other sweeteners (corn syrup or sucrose), as they pose a real threat to public health.

Difficult product

In 2003, a book by psychologist Thomas Babor was published called "Alcohol: an unusual product". In this book, the author described the four most negative features of alcohol, according to most public health organizations: the inevitability of distribution in society, toxicity, dependence, and the overall negative impact on society as a whole. Suddenly, it turns out that excessive consumption of sugar has the same negative consequences.

First of all, why - inevitability? Historically, sugar was available to our ancestors in the form of fruits for only a few months of the year (during the harvest season) or in the form of honey, which was guarded by bees. In nature, sugar is difficult to obtain, but man has made this process effortless: in recent years, sugar has been added to almost all food products, leaving the consumer no choice. In many countries, people consume 500 calories of excess sugar alone per day (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Sugar mountains. Amount of sugar consumed in the form of sweeteners (not including fruit), expressed in calories per person per day (data from 2007).

Now consider the next factor - fructose toxicity. Scientific evidence is accelerating at an accelerating pace of the alarming fact that excessive sugar consumption spoils a person's health more seriously than just adding extra wrinkles to the tummy. Moreover, it is the excessive consumption of sugar that is the cause of all diseases associated with metabolic syndrome,. These include:

• hypertension (the breakdown of fructose in the liver causes an increase in the concentration of uric acid, which leads to an increase in blood pressure);
• increased triglyceride levels and insulin resistance (positive energy balance leads to fat synthesis in the liver);
• diabetes (due to increased production of glucose by the liver along with insulin resistance);
• aging (caused by the breakdown of lipids, proteins, and DNA due to the non-enzymatic binding of fructose to these molecules).

It can also be assumed that fructose has a toxic effect on the liver, similar to the effect of alcohol. This is not surprising, since alcohol is obtained in the process of fermentation (fermentation) of sugar. Some studies even cite sugar as a cause of cancer and mental illness.

The fact that addiction develops to sugar does not even require special evidence. Just like tobacco and alcohol, it affects the brain. A huge amount of research is now being done on the study of sugar addiction in humans. For example, sugar blocks the suppression of the hormone ghrelin, which is responsible for the feeling of hunger. Sweeteners also interfere with leptin signaling, which is responsible for feeling full. All this together reduces the level of dopamine in the brain, drowns out the feeling of satisfaction from eating food and leads to the desire to eat more,.

And finally, the last factor is the general negative impact of sugar on society. Passive smoking and the consequences of drunk driving are strong arguments for legislative control of tobacco and alcohol consumption by the population. However, long-term effects such as performance levels and health care costs place sugar overconsumption in the same category as smoking and heavy drinking. For example, the United States allocates $65 million annually to combat diseases associated with metabolic syndrome and compensate for the productivity losses it causes; $150 million annually absorbs medical care for patients with metabolic syndrome. In the US, 25% of recruits (i.e. one in four!), who want to join the ranks of the military, are rejected by the commission because of obesity: US military doctors have already declared obesity a "threat to national security."

Time to intervene

Taxation of alcohol and tobacco products - in the form of special excise duties, value added taxes and sales taxes - is the most popular and effective way to reduce drinking and smoking. Sugar should be treated in the same way. Taxes should be imposed on products containing sugar in any form: sugary sodas, sugar-sweetened juices, sports drinks, chocolate milk and sugary breakfast cereals. Canada and some European countries have already introduced additional taxes on some sugary products. In the United States, negotiations are still underway to introduce a "cent per ounce" tax on carbonated water (about 34 cents per liter), which will increase the price of one can of drink by 10-12 cents. The average US citizen drinks 216 liters of soda per year, of which 58% contains sugar. The introduction of this tax will provide an annual income of $45 per capita, which is nationally equal to $14 million annually. However, despite this, the overall consumption of sugary drinks is unlikely to fall: statistical modeling shows that for a significant reduction, the price must at least double. For example, the effect can be achieved when a can of lemonade worth one dollar costs two dollars, while ordinary water remains at the level of 70-80 cents.

Figure 2. (Don't) Drink Coca-Cola. Most soda is actually cloying, although this taste is somewhat masked by carbonic or even phosphoric acid.

Realizable dream

Legislative restrictions on the sale of alcoholic beverages to young people are very effective, but the same approaches to the sale of sugar-containing products are not yet available. However, recently in San Francisco it was forbidden to put toys in complete sets with not the most healthy meals at some fast food restaurants. Restricting, or ideally banning, television advertising of foods containing sugar would greatly protect children's health.

Fructose consumption can be reduced through government subsidies aimed at “promoting” healthy foods. But in any case, manufacturers and distributors must themselves reduce the amount of sugar in their food products. Of course, this will not be easy - because sugar is cheap and tasty, it sells well and does not spoil, and therefore companies are unlikely to want to drastically change their products to the detriment of commercial interests.

The first step is to remove fructose from the list of safe substances, or at least to designate an acceptable dose of it - today's regulations allow food manufacturers to add almost unlimited amounts of it to their products. Regulating sugar use will not be easy, especially in developing country markets where soft drinks are typically cheaper than drinking water and milk. It is clear that the public struggle to reduce the demand and supply of sugar will run into political resistance and a powerful sugar lobby, so that the active participation of all interested parties will be required.

The food industry is already aware that there are problems on the horizon - foreshadowed at least by the mentioned ban on toys in San Francisco's fast food outlets. With enough intense hype, tectonic shifts in policy become possible. The best example is the ban on smoking in public places. It's time to turn your attention to sugar.

Based on a commentary by Nature.

Addition from Sergey Belkov (flavorchemist)

History sometimes takes unexpected turns. With the invention of the cheap sweetener (glucose-fructose syrup), traditional sugar producers, already under constant pressure from low-calorie sweetener manufacturers, have a very serious enemy. After all, fructose (which in the composition of this syrup is slightly more or slightly less than half, depending on the brand) has always been considered a useful and even dietary product. A cheaper product containing this sugary carbohydrate could cause an irreparable blow to sales.

The harm of fructose was quickly shown, and one of the most inflated contradictions was created from scratch. In experiments demonstrating its harm, very large quantities of it were used in its pure form. Meanwhile, neither with sugar, nor with glucose-fructose syrup in its pure form, a person does not use fructose, just as he does not use very large quantities of it. Further reflections on the dangers of fructose are interesting, but have little scientific value.

By themselves, the potential consequences of eating large amounts of sugar have long been no secret. Sugar tastes good and is hard to give up; Excessive consumption of sugar is unlikely to improve your health. Science has accumulated a sufficient amount of knowledge not only on this subject, but also on proper nutrition generally. Obesity and related diseases are complex problem, the reasons for which lie not only (although to a large extent) in nutrition, but also in lifestyle. Shifting the focus of the fight for public health to the fight against fructose, especially through bans, is not only a rash step, but also a dangerous one. It is more like making up convenient explanations and ignoring uncomfortable facts than seeking scientific truth and solving real problems.

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