Sugar as poison

I watched this video a number of months back, and I have been meaning to share it since that time. If you have the time, it is very informative. If not, here is the gist:

Our body processes different sugars differently. Glucose is not the same as fructose or lactose (our 3 most commonly ingested sugars). Dr Lustig asserts that in order to break down fructose to be usable by our bodies, a number of harmful by-products are created. These by-products, in his opinion, are responsible for many of the issues Americans are facing today. Weight gain. Insulin resistance, and eventually diabetes.

I can't say that I know enough biochemistry to know if he's right or wrong. But he does work through the chemistry, and I think he may have figured it out.

Why is this a big deal? Well, some companies have been pushing fructose as a safe alternative to diabetics, since it doesn't create a blood sugar spike. It may very well cause more damage than the white sugar may have done.

My take-away from this? Cut back white sugar, fruit juices, high-fructose corn syrup and regular corn syrup. We already know they aren't good for us, and now we can see at least one theory of the kind of damage they do. Eat lots of fiber. It counteracts the damage caused by fructose. Also, I will continue to avoid sugar alcohols, or what we call in our house "fake sugar." If something natural like fructose can cause so much damage, I can only imagine what something created in a test tube can do.