Like alcohol and tobacco, sugar is a
toxic, addictive substance that should be highly regulated with taxes, laws on
where and to whom it can be advertised, and even age–restricted sales, says a
team of UCSF scientists in Nature.
For both alcohol and tobacco, there is robust evidence that gentle ‘supply
side’ control strategies which stop far short of all–out prohibition –
taxation, distribution controls, age limits – lower both consumption of the
product and the accompanying health harms. The experts have proposed adding
taxes to processed foods that contain any form of added sugars.
Over the past 50 years, sugar consumption has tripled worldwide. That’s also
helped contribute to the obesity epidemic – so much so that there are 30
percent more obese people in this world than there are malnourished people.
Sugar is ‘toxic,’ particularly in excessive amounts, noting that it poses
dangers similar to those of alcohol. Fructose, specifically, can harm the liver
and overconsumption has been linked with all the diseases involved with
metabolic syndrome: hypertension, high triglycerides, insulin resistance, and
diabetes. (Source AMA News)
No comments:
Post a Comment