Toxic and Addictive?

Reading time: approx. 5 minutes

Hey Brothers! 

Welcome to LenDentonThrive Letter #67!

I write the LenDentonThrive Letter to provide Over-50 Guys with practical, science-backed information and strategies that help you lose weight, get fit, and live longer… all in a smarter, not harder way. 

In this week’s edition of the Letter, I want to talk about SUGAR! 

If you’re an Over-50 Guy who grew up in the USA, chances are you’ve grown up in a food culture that is filled with sugar! Sugar is everywhere and in practically everything! 

Ketchup? Yes!

Hamburger buns? Yes!

Yogurt? Yes!

Restaurant meals? Yup!

You get the idea. The Standard American Diet is full of sugar. Americans consume more sugar per person than any other country in the world!

In this edition of the LDT Letter, I’ll explore two questions about sugar and how it affects our health:

• Is Sugar Toxic?

• Is Sugar Addictive? 

Then, in upcoming editions, we’ll explore some popular artificial sweeteners and effective ways to deal with sugar addictions.

Let’s jump in!

Question 1 - Is Sugar Toxic?

The phrase, “the dose makes the poison” is a famous adage in the toxicology community. It’s attributed to Paracelsus, a Swiss physician from the 1600s. It means nothing is poisonous in and of itself, yet anything can be poisonous with a high enough concentration (or dose).

Sugar falls into this category. 

Sugar, in small quantities, is technically non-toxic. However, when sugar is consumed in the quantities that are being consumed in America today, the downstream effects on general health are quite toxic! These effects include obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even some forms of cancer. All of these lifestyle diseases are rising at an alarming rate!

Much of this sugar comes from ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened drinks, which Americans are consuming more than ever before. I wrote about the ultra-processed food problem here. A study from Northwestern University found that 73% of the American food supply is ultra-processed!

So, the answer to the question “Is sugar toxic” is technical NO… and YES!

Sugar is not a toxic substance. But…eating too much sugar is very toxic!

The dose makes the poison.

Question 2 - Is Sugar Addictive?

Research has shown that sugar and sweetness can induce rewards and cravings that are comparable in magnitude to those induced by addictive drugs. Another study found that intense sweetness can surpass the cocaine reward!

This research shows that sugar, and its associated sweetness, can be more addictive than cocaine! 

So, it’s not surprising that most Americans are dealing with undiagnosed sugar addictions. These addictions make it hard for us to maintain healthy diets by avoiding sugary foods and drinks.

And, food manufacturers know this well. This is one of the reasons why most ultra-processed foods contain large amounts of sugar or other sweeteners. They make these foods taste more delicious and create repeat customers. While it's not very healthy for customers, it's certainly a good business model! 

Toxic and Addictive!

Research shows that sugar is both toxic and addictive. Yet, sugar consumption (mostly through ultra-processed foods) is on the rise. And, so is obesity and the chronic diseases it creates. 

This is death by food…we are setting ourselves up for disease and shortened life spans by the food choices we’re making. 

But, there’s a better way!

If you can change the way you eat, you’ll change:

• the way you look

• how you feel

• how healthy you are

• how long you’ll live! 

Here’s a couple of questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you think that you have a sugar addiction?

2. Do you want to do something about it?

If you answered yes to these questions, I suggest you check out my guide for Beating Your Sugar Addiction, and read next week’s edition of the LenDentonThrive Letter, where we’ll look at sugar alternatives. 

And, please share this with a friend who might be struggling with sugar.

Thanks for stopping by.

Smarter, not harder.

Thanks for reading this week.

I write this newsletter to make a positive impact on the lives of Over-50 Guys and their families. If you found this information useful, please consider subscribing to receive new editions each week.

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