Heroin, crack, marijuana, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, salt, and sugar - all of these are addictions. Sure, some are more dangerous than others, but the way society views each of them is sadly based more on the laws of economics and personal politics than on the true health dangers they impose. I should only need mention the somewhat recent revelations made about — and actions taken against — Big Tobacco to justify my opinion.
That said, I’m in no way advocating the use of illegal drugs as I’ve seen substances on both sides of the law destroy friends and members of my family. However, if the first chapter of Sugar Shock that chronicles the author's own devastating addiction to sugar doesn’t make you realize that legalities alone don’t dictate the danger of a substance, then you're probably suffering from some sort of denial of your own.
The fact is that something as destructive as sugar, whose dangers are richly detailed throughout Sugar Shock’s pages, is a perfect example of Karl Marx’s theory of capitalistic wants winning out over concern for society as a whole once again in our long, turbulent history as a species.
Still, as we evolve as a society and learn more about our bodies and the truths behind the additives of mass-produced foods, we are making society better for future generations. While sugar is boldly sold on supermarket shelves, the terminally ill are often forced to break laws if they choose to use marijuana to help abate their symptoms. For the self-informed it is now being revealed that sugar is just as menacing as many of the illegal substances that ravage our nation's inner cities and ruin countless lives.
In her book Sugar Shock, journalist Connie Bennett unravels the misconceptions and dangers behind a substance that has been in widespread production and use since around at least 600 A.D. and makes up a glutton's share of America’s economic pie chart. There is no question that sugar will always have its place on the world’s culinary palette, but just like any other addiction, moderation and understanding is critical to avoiding abuse.
Article comments
1 - Steve O'Keefe
Brandon,
I, too, read this book and was shocked. One of the unique things Bennett brings out is the insulin-resistance theory that is picking up steam with nutritionists and doctors. That is, eating sugars and quick carbs rapidly increases blood sugar, triggering an over-reaction of insulin, which causes you to "crash" and crave a sugary pick-up. Then the cycle repeats.
The yo-yo impact of quick carbs on your blood sugar and insulin just wears out your pancreas. You can develop "insulin resistance" which is likely the basis for hypoglycemia and type-2 diabetes.
The book seems to suggest that "slow foods" are better. That is, slow carbs that aren't digested quickly, or consuming protein when eating sugary foods or quick carbs to slow down their absorption. If you can't give up the sugar, at least slow it down.
STEVE O'KEEFE