(NaturalNews) With many sugar-related stories recently leaking into the mainstream media, the negative effects of sugar have been a subject of intense debate. Adding proverbial fuel to the biological fire, a video lecture by a prominent California doctor entitled "Sugar: The Bitter Truth," has been generating over 50,000 views per month. As the sugar debate garners even more media attention, prominent health experts are voicing their opposition to excess sugar consumption. It seems that the information regarding sugar that was at one time considered exclusive to the alternative health community may soon become common knowledge.
The impact of sugar on the body does not stop at obesity. Fructose has been found to raise uric acid levels, leading to decreased nitric oxide levels, elevated angiotensin levels, and smooth muscle cell contractions that lead to higher blood pressure and potential kidney damage. Higher uric acid levels have also been linked to low-level inflammation, which can lead to a large number of diseases. As a testament to the deteriorating health of the U.S. since the introduction of sugar into the primary diet of most citizens, uric acid levels among Americans have risen dramatically since the early half of the 20th century. In 1920, average uric acid levels were around 3.5 ml/dl. In sharp contrast, average uric acid levels in 1980 shot up to around 6.0 to 6.5 ml/dl. Uric acid levels above 5.5 mg per dl indicate an increased risk of developing hypertension, kidney disease, insulin resistance, fatty liver, obesity, diabetes, and a host of other conditions.
Another scary relationship is the connection between sugar and cancer. Insulin resistance, a response to prolonged and excessive sugar intake, has been fingered as a primary factor in many cancers. Lewis Cantley is the director of the Cancer Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School. According to Cantley, as much as 80 percent of all cancers are "driven by either mutations or environmental factors that work to enhance or mimic the effect of insulin on the incipient tumor cells." This link between chronic sugar consumption and 80 percent of cancers is one that challenges the mainstream ideology of how nutrition affects the body. In addition, it is a link that must not be taken lightly.
Sugar is currently a staple of most American diets. With the primary source of calories in the U.S. coming from fructose, it may be time to rethink the way that sugar is consumed around the world. With numerous studies coming out tying sugar to a multitude of diseases, even mainstream health outlets are starting to question sugar's impact on our bodies. Perhaps it is time to put down the processed junk, and revolutionize the nation's health.