Diabetes News

Note from Connie: Thanks to my research assistant Jennifer Moore for this enlightening post about the dangers not of sugar but of the sodium benzoate in soft drinks. There is so much news to comment about here that I'm thrilled to have her helping out here from time to time.

Just when you thought soda couldn't be any worse for you -- aside from its insanely high sugar content and the way it packs on pounds -- new research from Britain uncovers yet another way this sweet stuff may be hazardous to your health.

Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology at the UK's University of Sheffield, believes that soft drinks containing the additive sodium benzoate may shut down parts of the DNA in a person's cells, a claim we learned about, thanks to consumer affairs reporter Martin Hickman in the British paper The Independent.

Professor Piper, whom Hickman refers to as an expert in aging, made this discovery after testing the additive on living yeast cells in his lab. The sodium benzoate affects the cell's mitochondria, which Hickman calls the "power station" of a person's cells. (FYI, in Chapter 2 of Connie's book SUGAR SHOCK!, Dr. Stephen Sinatra -- contributing author to her book -- also talks about the important role of mitochondria.)

So why is this scary news that sodium benzoate in soda affects the cell's mitochondria?

Dr. Piper explains to The Independent:

"The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it -- as happens in a number if diseased states -- then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA -- Parkinson's and quite a lot of neuro-degenerative diseases, but above all the whole process of ageing."

Let's put it another way: Some brands of soft drinks contain a substance that might very well cause the kind of cell damage typically seen in devastating illnesses like Parkinson's disease, which is the terrible condition from which actor Michael J. Fox suffers. Just click the National Parkinson Foundation's website to learn what the disease does to a person's body. Yikes!

According to Hickman, sodium benzoate is widely used by a variety of soft drink manufacturers, including Coca-Cola, Pepsi Max, Diet Pepsi, Sprite, Dr Pepper, and Fanta. This substance, which Hickman reports occurs naturally in healthy foods like berries, is used in large amounts to keep mold out of soda.

Interestingly, according to Hickman, the World Health Organization even admitted that the science supporting the contention that the additive is safe is "limited."

What's more, the combination of sodium benzoate and vitamin C was found to create a carcinogen called benzene, as Connie wrote about here last year. While the UK's Food Standards Agency took the drastic measure to call for four products containing benzene to be taken off the market, our own FDA  has't taken such a step. The agency insists that the levels of benzene found in sodas sold here aren't a safety risk.

Now, the FDA says that some soft drink companies did formulate their sparkling, sugary beverages to cut the amount benzene and that they continue to monitor the situation.

Pardon me for being a bit skeptical that the FDA is doing everything it can to keep toxins out of soda -- after all, the FDA is same governmental agency that let Avandia be unleashed on millions of diabetic Americans, despite research showing that the drug could substantially increase the risk of heart attacks.

As far as sodium benzoate goes, Professor Piper thinks that the FDA's tests aren't good enough.

"By the criteria of modern safety testing, the safety tests were inadequate," he said. "Like all things, safety testing moves forward and you can conduct a much more rigorous safety test than you could 50 years ago."

So now Americans have yet another reason to avoid soda. Of course, staying away from soda is easier said than done for many people. In fact, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest's widely acclaimed 2005 report on soda (called "Liquid Candy"), soft drinks are the # 1 source of calories in the American diet.

If Professor Piper's research is to be believed, millions of Americans may be inadvertently damaging their cells just by having a can of soda every day.

My advice: Check out Connie's book SUGAR SHOCK! for tips on how to quash those powerful sugar cravings and lick your soda habit for good. And ask your representatives in Congress to urge the FDA to take some serious action in light of Professor Piper's revealing research about sodium benzoate.

Reuters reports that diets high in carbohydrates are associated with slightly higher blood pressure than diets that contain high amounts of monounsaturated fats.  So says a recently-completed meta-analysis (in this case, a review of 10 published studies), written up in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  Meena Shah, Ph.D. of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas led the research team.

Dr. Shah and her team reached this conclusion after examining studies in which groups of people were randomly assigned to either a high-carb or high monounsatured fat diet and then switched to the other plan.

Interestingly, Reuters points out, results of one mathematical model the research team used showed that high-carb diets resulted in significantly higher blood pressure than one rich in monounsaturated fat. (Examples of foods high in monounsaturated fats are olive oil, avocados, and peanut butter, according to the American Heart Association.)

Ultimately, Dr. Shah and her group conclude that these findings may not be meaningful enough to justify changing dietary recommendations for people with high blood pressure. Still, this does provide yet another of many reasons for people to at least consider cutting back on those potentially dangerous processed carbs.

From Jennifer Moore for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

I continue to be dumbfounded at the profusion of research studies, which reveal, time and time again, the far-reaching, life-shortening dangers of consuming too much sugar and refined carbs -- something most Americans do.

Get ready to be astounded by these results.

Brent Tetri, M.D., professor of internal medicine at Saint Louis University Liver Center and a leading researcher in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease -- which can lead to cirrhosis and, ultimately, death -- examined the effects on mice of eating foods with about 40% fat and high in high fructose corn syrup. (For those of you who've read my book SUGAR SHOCK!, you know that HFCS is pervasive in our food supply, from sodas to fruit drinks to frozen foods.)

The results of the study, according to the Saint Louis University press release, surprised even the researchers.

A mere four weeks into what was designed as a 16-week experiment, the mice -- who were deliberately kept sedentary (like many Americans, of course) -- showed signs of serious liver problems, as well as glucose intolerance.

Dr. Tetri confesses: "We had a feeling we'd see evidence of fatty liver disease by the end of the study," he notes. "But we were surprised to find how severe the damage was and how quickly it occurred. It took only four weeks for liver enzymes to increase and for glucose intolerance -- the beginning of type II diabetes -- to begin."

It's important to note that in feeding the mice, the researchers sought "to mirror the kind of diet many Americans subsist on, so the high fat content is about the same you'd find in a typical McDonald's meal, and the high fructose corn syrup translates to about eight cans of soda a day in a human diet, which is not far off from what some people consume," Dr. Tetri said in a statement. "But we were also keeping the mice sedentary, with a very limited amount of activity."

Another interesting aspect of the study is that the mice were allowed to eat whenever they wanted. And sure enough, they went at it. Dr. Tetri suggests that fructose actually suppresses your feeling of fullness so that you consume more. (FYI, other scientists have suggested as much -- in fact, this is a theory that I explore in my book SUGAR SHOCK!)

So what does Dr. Tetri's study mean for humans? That the typical American diet -- high in HFCS and fat -- could -- along with a sedentary lifestyle -- be quite dangerous to your liver and could even lead to glucose intolerance, which could turn into type 2 diabetes. 

But remember folks, there is hope even if you're one of out eight children who have fatty liver disease.

Dr. Tetri points out: "The good news is that it is somewhat reversible -- but for some it will take major changes in diet and lifestyle."

Folks, I do hope you take to heart the lessons to be learned from this study. The transitory taste of soda and other sugary, fatty foods just isn't worth the potential health hazards. But, rest assured. You can learn to enjoy healthy, nutritious foods and to live a happier, healthier life. For some tips to kick sugar, I invite you to check out my book SUGAR SHOCK!

Special thanks to my researcher Jennifer Moore and to Medical News Today for alerting me to this study.

As a journalist, I'm dedicated to digging up the truth. For my book SUGAR SHOCK!, my researchers and I poured over hundreds of medical studies, and I carefully came to conclusion -- with the help of some 250 medical experts -- that over-consuming sugary foods and refined carbs could lead to a host of health problems, including robbing your body of vitamins and minerals and causing you to take in less of the higher quality, nutrient-rich foods.

Therefore, I'm absolutely flabbergasted by this seemingly impartial review just published in the British Journal of Nutrition, which concludes, from looking at 15 studies conducted since 1980, that there was insufficient evidence and too much inconsistency between studies to convincingly argue that a high-sugar diet results in lower micronutrient intakes.   

Let me reiterate: My extensive research and interviews over five years of working on my book lead me to conclude exactly the opposite.

But, this is the finding, according to two seemingly non-biased researchers M. Barbara E. Livingstone, a nutrition professor at the University of Ulster in Ireland, and Kirsten L. Rennie (couldn't find a bio online).

I'm still trying to find out the funding source, because that can provide valuable tell-tale information.

Thank goodness the review does at least acknowledge that this is not the final word.

"Further research is required to determine which food products high in added sugars might adversely affect micronutrient intakes by displacing other food items from the diet," the report notes.

Oh, you've got to hear about another finding which I find almost laughable.

As the U.K.'s Sugar Bureau gleefully crows (in a press release, entitled, "New study reviews empty calories theory"), "while some studies show that intake of certain micronutrients appears to decrease with added sugar in the diet, other studies show that increased amounts of added sugar are associated with an increased intake of vitamins and minerals."

Did I hear right? You've absolutely got to be kidding! Who funded those studies?

Anyhow, it seems to me like these researchers overlooked a number of important studies which show, as I mention in SUGAR SHOCK!, that eating so many sugary foods causes people to curtail the quality carbs like fruits and vegetables.

Meanwhile, there's another factor which seems to be completely overlooked in this review article, which is that when you eat sugary foods, all that sugar actually robs your body of nutrients. (I delve into this in my book.)

Anyhow, I'm so shocked by this study, but just had to write about it here. Thanks to Jess Halliday of FoodNavigator.com/Europe for the heads-up on this new review.

Thanks to Althea Chang for her help on this post.

New research found that foods rich in cocoa -- aka, the main ingredient in chocolate -- could lower systolic blood pressure by roughly 4.7 points and diastolic pressure by 2.8 points, according to Janet Cromley of the Los Angeles Times.

This means, Cromley's article explains, a person whose blood pressure is 140/80 and had a chocolate snack every day could see their blood pressure reading drop to 135/77.

A research team at the University of Cologne in Germany reviewed five studies on cocoa as well as five studies on tea, and reported their findings in the April issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The theory is that plant compounds called polyphenols, which are found in chocolate, are responsible for its apparent beneficial effects.

But don't rush out and stock up on Hershey bars just yet. As lead author Dr. Dirk Tauber told Cromley, foods with high concentrations of polyphenols, like dark chocolate, may be considered part of a blood pressure lowering diet, provided that there is no gain in total calorie intake." 

In other words, this research isn't a license to load up on all the candy bars you want. Also, if a person wanted to eat dark chocolate in an attempt to lower blood pressure, that person would have to consume less of something else to avoid eating more calories than he or she needs.

To journalist Crowley's credit, she did make sure to include that crucial caveat about what kind of chocolate to eat and how to incorporate it into one's diet. But I hope chocolate makers remember that and refrain from touting all their chocolate products (especially ones filled with sugar) as health-giving elixirs to an unsuspecting public. I mean, I'm no doctor, but is a drop in blood pressure 140/80 to 135/77 significant enough to justify eating chocolate to achieve?

From Jennifer Moore

For the past five years, while working on my book SUGAR SHOCK!, I had the pleasure of interviewing some of the most cutting edge health experts out there.

One M.D. I interviewed is Dr. Mark Hyman, who not only is a much-acclaimed physician, but one who's quite savvy about nutrition (unlike most doctors). Not only that, but he's hip to the dangers of sugars and refined carbs. (You can find some quotes from him about this in SUGAR SHOCK!)

Stay tuned, because Dr. Hyman will be offering a teleseminar for my audience. (Details to come shortly.)

Anyhow, Dr. Hyman -- a two-time New York Times bestselling author -- has written a revolutionary book, UltraMetabolism -- The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss, which contains some crucial information about YOUR health that you are JUST NOT hearing about... In fact, Dr. Hyman's book contains information that could not only help you finally fix your chronic health problems, but also help you feel better, look better and give you an energy boost as a bonus.

You can find out more info here about this book, which is the same book that's been featured in a public television special airing nationwide, as well as on Good Morning America, The Early Show, The View and AOL's home page every couple of months.

I bring good news. Dr. Hyman, who I greatly admired, has agreed to offer you three gifts:

1. A sneak peek of the book;
2. A metabolism-boosting 7-step online course; and
3. A 60-minute video that will show you how you may generate automatic health and weight loss.

You can get this sneak preview now here.

Incidentally, Dr. Hyman is booked solid for nearly a year out with patients. Many of them have tried everything else, and as a last resort, they fly to the U.S. from the far corners of the world to have Dr. Hyman fix what other doctors couldn't figure out.

Fortunately, you can get much of the same information he gives to his patients right now in this powerful book.

Now, just like you, I've come across dozens of books purporting to hold 'the secret' to weight loss, so I'm quite skeptical.

But, as far as I know, this is the FIRST book of this nature that takes a medical approach to weight loss using the latest science from an exciting field called "Nutrigenomics" -- this the science of how we can use food to control our genes.

Dr. Hyman has put together a short video that tells you all about this powerful new science, which you can see by visiting his website now. (Check out what he says after the first minute about not having to count calories...)

I've copied below the summary that's on the back of the book if you are interested in learning more:

<> Why you actually need to eat carbs to lose weight. - Page 41

<> Why your body is designed to gain weight and what you can do to reprogram it to burn fat. - Page 3

<> How several simple tests can pinpoint what's causing your weight-loss attempts to fail and what steps you can take to conquer the problems. - Page 80

<> Why eating less and exercising more can actually make you fat. - Page 12

<> How to control your appetite and feel full without counting carbs, fat, or calories. - Page 84

<> How to turbo charge your metabolic furnace to burn extra fat while you sleep. (Do this one thing wrong and you'll actually force your body to pile on extra fat instead.) - Page 54

<> Why one special food could be your missing link to losing weight. (And why 95% of people don't get enough.) - Page 51

Despite what you may think, Dr. Hyman says, you are not doomed by bad genes passed to you from your parents. Indeed, by eating delicious foods the RIGHT way, you can learn to work WITH your genes (and not against them) to automatically boost your metabolism.

And, most importantly, what I especially like about this book is that the focus on health.

Dr. Hyman zeroes in on getting you healthy FIRST. Then you let your body's natural intelligence automatically take over, which allows it to repair itself and may lead to many benefits that include weight loss, more energy, better skin, improvements in chronic health conditions and more.

Incidentally, you may find page 9 to be shocking. Dr. Hyman says he never tells his patients to lose weight, but they still do, all while revitalizing their health at the same time... I think when you read the reason why by downloading the sneak preview at the website below, you'll be relieved and energized to give this a try:

As I mentioned earlier, Dr. Hyman is giving you three gifts:

1. A special 7-step online course that will walk you through each of the 7 keys to automatic weight loss and health and help to dispel some of the most common myths that might be holding you back from success. (For example, did you know eating less and exercising more might actually be making you fat? Pretty fascinating stuff!)
2. A 60-minute online video (using the latest in-screen capture technology) which  personally walks you through how you can awaken the fat burning code hidden in your DNA. (We've all got it somewhere, it just needs the right message to wake it up and then it automatically goes to work.
3. The sneak preview of the book.

To get all 3 of these metabolism-boosting items at no cost, just go to this website now.

I'm sure when you look into Dr. Hyman's book that you'll find it to be quite fascinating and helpful. Hope you enjoy it.

Keeping your sugar levels within the normal range "may reduce cancer risk," wrote the researchers, who included Par Stattin, MD, PhD, of Sweden's Umea University Hospital.

WebMD points out that the study "doesn't prove that high blood sugar levels cause cancer or that normal blood sugar levels prevent it."

In addition, WebMD notest that the researchers evidently didn't track all possible cancer influences such as the participants' diets, exercise habits or family history of cancer. They also didn't check the participants' blood sugar over time.

Even so, it's a good idea to keep blood sugar levels in control, because doing so may help prevent diabetes and heart disease, as well as make cancer less likely, Stattin's team notes.

While it sounds like this study may have some limitations, it's clearly onto a good idea. It's imperative for people's good health that they keep their blood sugar levels in control. In fact, this something I delve into in detail in my book SUGAR SHOCK!

Welcome, listeners to "The Healthy Stuff."

Hope you learned something today when dynamic host Julie Isphording interviewed me for 55 KRC in Cincinnatti, Ohio.

It was an honor to be quizzed by Julie about my book SUGAR SHOCK!

As you can see from Julie's bio, she's one amazing woman: Not only is she an award-winning, syndicated radio talk show host, but she is a former Olympic runner and member of the first ever Women’s Olympic Marathon Team (1984).

In fact, Julie has won many marathons, including the prestigious Los Angeles Marathon. She's even been ranked among the top runners in the world because of her accomplishments at the New York City Marathon, Boston Marathon and the Olympic Trials.

But Julie -- who teaches people how to lead an Olympic life -- laughingly 'fessed up during our chat that she has an over-attachment to a certain kind of candy and a particular cereal.

Of course, I happily shared some secrets and strategies to help her and listeners to squash those sugar cravings.

Everyone, bear in mind: I'm here to help you break free of your sugar issues!