More dangerous than alcohol and cigarettes?
Paul van der Velpen, the head of Amsterdam’s health service, made headlines last week when he stated that sugar is “addictive and the most dangerous drug of our times.”
“Just like alcohol and tobacco, sugar is actually a drug. There is an important role for government. The use of sugar should be discouraged [and] users should be made aware of the dangers,” said van der Velpen. In addition to this statement, van der Velpen also encouraged the proper labelling of sugar rich foods, which he suggested should be similar in nature to tobacco labels.
Research, however, has indicated that sugar may not be as dangerous as cigarettes and alcohol. Studies mentioned in the Journal of Public Nutrition have indicated that there is a causal relationship between the consumption of sugar-laden beverages and obesity. However, the study also cites five intervention trials where it was possible to reduce the intake of sugar-laden beverages in comparison with a control group, thereby indicating that sugar may not be as addictive as van de Velpen is making it out to be.
Furthermore, van der Velpen’s article also states that sugar can be more dangerous than the effects of alcohol and cigarettes. While a high intake of sugar can lead to obesity and can also lead to cardiovascular disease, the risks associated with the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes are also high. The World Health Organization states that the best ways to reduce cardiovascular disease are to decrease cigarette usage, maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and reduce harmful alcohol consumption. Understanding the risks of cardiovascular disease requires addressing the big picture.
Cardiovascular disease, however, is not the only health risk associated with smoking and obesity. Cancer is also a risk, and the main dangers, as identified by the World Health Organization, are tobacco use, alcohol use, and an unhealthy diet. Though smoking does contribute more cancer deaths worldwide than alcohol use or an unhealthy diet, it is important not to deem other factors as negligible.
Although sugar may not be as dangerous as smoking or alcohol consumption when it comes to assessing cancer, it does remain a highly controversial topic as it contributes to cardiovascular disease. In some instances, the consumption of sugar is much more dangerous for our society due to rising rates of obesity which is correlated with other health issues. On the other hand, smoking and alcohol consumption have also been linked to high rates of cancer. Can one really be more dangerous than the other? That’s up for debate.
I enjoyed reading your article which quite correctly notes that this is a controversial subject. While van der Velpen’s article is interesting in stimulating debate about this subject, it is important to put the consumption of sugar and other caloric food ingredients in context of the much much higher risks of smoking and alcohol in relation to cancer and cardiovascular disease. While a healthy diet is an essential component of a disease risk reduction strategy, to suggest that sugar is “dangerous” in relation to obesity and cardiovascular disease simply ignores the vast majority of peer reviewed scientific literature. You may be interested to review the health professional publication, Carbohydrate News, which provides an examination of the scientific evidence from a “hierarchy of evidence” and systematic review perspective. The article, The not so toxic truth about sugar, is written by Dr. John Sievenpiper of St. Michael’s Hospital and McMaster University.
Please see: http://www.sugar.ca/english/healthprofessionals/carboIssue18.cfm